New World In My View
by Zelda Zonkk
Summary: He claimed he was my Maker, when I couldn't remember anything about him. "Trust me," Eric growled. "I know you better than you know yourself right now. You need me." Did I even have a choice anymore? EricxOC
1. Prologue

**A/N: **_Bonjour! A new Eric story, da-da! I randomly came up with this. And I know they're doing a memory thing in Season 4 but I still want to do this :) Enjoy ;D Also, this is named after the song by King Britt that was actually in True Blood, and I __**love**__ that song :D And so the song will be mentioned ;D_

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><p><strong>New World In My View – Prologue<strong>

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><p>"<em>As flies to wanton boys, are we to the gods; they kill us for their sport."<em>_  
><em>- **William Shakespeare**

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><p><em>...that same Kingdom, that Jesus was talking to his disciples about…<em>

My eyes fluttered open as a man crouched in front of me, using his hand to lift my head and turn it from side to side. He shook me by my shoulders. I grimaced from the pain from the silver chains and I hated his scent. This human smelled revolting, like sweat and alcohol mixed together. Slowly I tried to focus on the rainbow of colors around me, trying to decipher shapes and understand where I was. Instead, a better question came to mind.

_Who was I?_

This man had slicked back black hair that was pretty greasy, rolling my head forward so I'd meet his bright green eyes. I realized quite suddenly that he was talking to me in a slow voice, dragging out each word as if he thought I was stupid.

"Thanks for the blood, kid," he snickered.

He pulled on my silver chains wrapped around my stomach, making me scream in pain. Ouch, that was a painful experience. You're welcome random stranger, for stealing my blood. My fangs came out naturally without my control. The man stepped back a little, looking warily at my fangs. He knew I couldn't do anything, not with silver around me. Doesn't mean his nerves were any better.

"Where am I?...Who am I?" I whispered, my throat sore. How long had I been here?

In the corner of the dimly lit room, I could see two small plastic bags filled with my own blood. I knew it was mine. I could smell it from here. The man in front of me let out such a loud whoop that it scared me. I jumped, wincing when the chains around my wrist cut into me even more. He jumped up suddenly, grinning and putting his hands on his face as he laughed.

A man came in, with bright ginger red hair. He eyed this crazy man in front of me with a small smile. "Lou, what the Hell is wrong with you dude?"

'Lou' seemed a little too old to be called dude. He was middle-aged, I knew that. He had some vulgar tattoos of woman in rude poses all along his arm. How classy of you, Lou. I groaned as the silver cut into me. The concrete wall behind me was the only thing keeping me up. I tried not to fall asleep, though it was very difficult.

I was noticing the room as Lou jumped for joy – not literally, of course. It was a plain rectangle apartment I think. The walls were a bland white, with dirty furniture and marking covering the wooden floors. There was one door, and one window covered with closed blinds.

"She can't remember a thing Rick! Not one f**king thing!" Lou yelled, laughing. "She won't remember any of it, not the rituals or anything! Meg was right, man. If we drain her, she dies and that's it right? The werewolves won't be after us anymore. Our debt is paid!"

As soon as I die. Great. Freaking great, I have no idea who I am, and I have limited time to find out.

Rick walked up to me with wide brown eyes. He looked shocked, but slightly curious too. "Ruby? Do you know who you are?"

Ruby. Was this my name? I didn't _feel_ like a Ruby. I didn't _feel _like anything, only confused and hurt. My throat was burning. I knew when I woke up that I was a vampire, but everything else after that is a mystery. I was scared, too. I didn't like that feeling. When I didn't answer, Rick was grinning too. These men were apparently delighted with my memory lapse.

"Amnesia, ain't that what it's called?" Lou asked. Rick nodded.

"Shit man, Meg wasn't kidding. They really did wipe her clean."

"She's probably got another hour or two before it's over," Lou murmured, glancing at me. He spoke of my ominous death like it was as simple as the weather. "Keeping her awake has been a bitch."

"You know vampires get the Bleeds. They need to sleep during the day, and keeping them awake is near impossible."

"But I did it," Lou smirked, puffing out his chest proudly.

That he had. He had slapped me once or twice, even adding more silver to my wrists just to add pain. The pain would keep me wide awake. His torture plan had worked. My brain felt fuzzy, my throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, and my body ached from the chains. I closed my eyes for what felt like just mere seconds, but when I opened them again, it was obvious I'd been asleep for much longer.

"The sun set around an hour ago," a voice said. It was Lou.

I couldn't even move I felt so weak. I had exhausted myself as I tried to remember what had happened before I got here. But everything was blank, all up to the point where I opened my eyes and found Lou staring. It was frustrating. Was my name really Ruby, or was that a lie?

There was some knocking on the door. I didn't react to it like the two men did. They jumped, instantly throwing a blanket over my blood bags. Lou went to the window, pulling the blinds up a little to see who was out there. My eyes drifted wearily to watch him, seeing his face pale in the orange street lights I could barely see from here. He instantly let go of the blinds, cursing. The light from outside vanished, but the knocking only got louder. There was some yelling outside too.

"Shit Rick. Shit! It's him, that f**king Fangtasia vampire!"

Fangtasia? Rick had the same pale, sickened look on his face as he looked at me and then back at the door. "What do we do?"

Lou didn't even have time to give him an answer. The door burst from its hinges, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. A blond man stood at the doorway, his fangs out. The image blurred a little. Lou was tied up, kicked aside and knocked unconscious.

Another blonde woman stepped over his body with distaste, her eyes roaming the room. When they landed on me, she looked relieved. In an instant, she was kneeling at my side, trying to pull out the needles connecting me to the blood bags that were already half-full. I looked at her with dazed eyes.

"Pam," the blond man said. He spoke in another language, so I didn't understand him. Pam frowned and nodded at him.

This lady Pam started to talk me, distracting me from the pain I think. I think that's what the man asked her to do. She looked at me and smiled a strained smile. "Godric will be pleased to hear you are alive Ruby. He's been calling every night for the last three days!"

I looked at her, bewildered now. Who was she? How did she know me? Ruby must really be my name. Rick and Lou weren't lying when they said that. They couldn't all be in on this, they weren't on the same team. I doubt the tall blond man would have grabbed Rick and held him against the wall with such aggression if they were.

"Who is Godric?" I asked curiously. Perhaps he knew more about me, and he could tell me.

Pam's jaw dropped as Lou's had done. "W-What?" she asked, her tone sharp. Pam clearly didn't like to mess around, and she probably thought I was kidding with her. She raised an eyebrow, suddenly forgetting that I still had three needles stuck in my arm.

She must have heard me incorrectly. Just a misunderstanding. "I asked who is Godric?"

Pam's hand flew to cover her open mouth as she stared at me in horror. "Oh…God… Eric!"

Eric, who was apparently the tall blond guy, looked over, still holding Rick who was squirming beneath him. He raised an eyebrow just as Pam had done. I was thoroughly confused, and I was frankly sick of it. I didn't like not knowing who I was, or what was going on. It was irritating and frustrating.

"She doesn't remember anything!"

Eric's furious eyes darted to mine. I somehow felt guilty, as if I were to blame for having amnesia. Lou had called it that. I watched Eric look hurt for a moment, before anger flooded his eyes again as he turned to look at Rick, squeezing him a little tightly. Rick's round face was turning red.

"Why doesn't she remember anything?" he growled.

"I-I don't know man I-…"

Eric shook him, slamming Rick's head against the concrete wall. He was obviously going to do very bad things to Rick unless he talked, until Pam butted in.

"Eric. Can you control yourself until we get back to Fangtasia, please?" she snapped angrily. "We have more important matters to deal with!"

She motioned towards me, finally pulling out the last needle and taking the silver off of me. The room was already filled with the horrible smell of my burning flesh, but the immense relief I felt from the freedom of having no chains around me let me ignore it. I wasn't bound to die just yet.

"Take them to the car. We need to leave as soon as we can, before the humans alert the authorities for any noise we've made. They might become suspicious. We can't take that chance, not with Ruby like this," Eric said after a moment.

They spoke of me as if I wasn't here. Eric appeared in front of me. I felt nervous of him. I wanted to pull away and run, but I wouldn't get very far. I couldn't even stand by myself. Eric seemed to sense my nervousness. His eyes softened as I flinched. My stomach still had the pattern of the silver chains on it, as did my wrists.

"We'll get you some TruBlood Ruby, it will help to heal you."

I had no idea who this man was, yet I was trusting him with my life. I stared at him with blank eyes, feeling a little less frightened. Had he wanted to kill me, he would have done it by now.

"We're going to go back to Fangtasia, in Shreveport, and find out what happened to you. Do you trust me?"

I looked out his outstretched hand. He was a vampire. Why would he want my blood? He was the only person I could trust right now. So I took his hand. He smiled at me.

"What is your name?" I asked. "Since you know my name."

"My name is Eric Northman. I am your Maker."


	2. Strange Love

**Chapter One – Strange Love**

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><p>"<em>For every good reason there is to lie, there is a better reason to tell the truth."<em>  
><strong>- <strong>**Bo Bennett**

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><p>The first thing I noticed during our relatively silent car ride as I stared out the window, seeing my reflection whenever we passed a streetlight, was that there was no one outside. At least, not many human people. We passed a group who were acting funny, and Pam says they were just 'idiotic drunken humans'. As long as no one strayed far from the crowd, she added, no one could be taken by a vampire. Eric shot her a stern look, his grip tightening on the steering wheel.<p>

I looked back out at the empty streets. Does that mean we are a threat? Had I ever hurt a human? The car seat was comfy, and I leaned back into it. Pam gave me a grey jumper. It was a little scratchy and itchy, and the sleeves were too long. It went to my thighs, which made me embarrassed because it would slide up and reveal my shorts every few minutes. How weird it is to be embarrassed in front of these strangers, when I had no clue who I even was.

Lou and Rick were in the trunk, I think. I didn't want to ask. I was already nervous and scared enough as it was. I saw a sign as we slowed near a crossroads. The bottom one had 'Bon Temps' and an arrow heading right, and the sign above it said 'Shreveport' with an arrow heading left. Eric turned left, tapping his fingers against the steering wheel, looking thoughtful.

I must have known these people. Why else would they have known where I was? I still didn't know what a Maker was. I didn't know who Pam was, or what her role in my life was. It was giving me a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Eric pulled up to a 24-hour store. I wanted to get out. I watched him from inside the car. He was standing right beside it, eyes roaming the parking lot.

"Pam, will you be alright watching the car? I'll take Ruby in with me. It's for the best if I keep a close eye on her."

Pam nodded. I was still being spoken of as if I wasn't here. Then again, I had no idea where we were. Shreveport didn't ring any bells with me. I got out of the car, and followed Eric in the door. He smiled when I jumped at the sound of the tinkling noise that came when we opened the door.

"That is how the owner knows there is someone in his shop Ruby. It is nothing to be frightened of."

There was a man with long black hair behind the counter, flipping through a magazine. I followed Eric as he went to the back of the store, towards the refrigerators. He hummed to himself, opening it and bending down to search. I watched him. Pam said a TruBlood was synthetic, but it would satisfy me. It was Japanese, she said, and I have to drink it instead of the alternative.

Though I wasn't sure what my alternative was exactly. Did it come in a can or something else like that? Yeah. That must be my alternative. I could get it in a bottle or a can. I couldn't see any cans of TruBlood around, so I assumed the store must be out of stock. She couldn't have meant a human, could she? That led me to ask myself if I had ever hurt a human again. I would feel horribly guilty if I had.

"You're favorite is the AB Negative or Positive, you normally like either," Eric informed me. It was strange that he knew more about me than I did. But I nodded. He lifted the six bottles in a cardboard box easily. They rattled together, clinking against each other as Eric strolled to the man at the counter. He was pulling out his wallet, ignoring the looks from the man. He seemed quite fascinated by us.

My eyes roamed the store, until I began watching a blonde woman on TV. Her lips were pulled into a strained smile as a moving title beneath her said, 'Are Vampires Monsters? Friend or Foe?' She smiled at the interviewer. I was curious. Vampires are monsters? So I am one too?

Eric tugged on my arm. "Ruby. Come on."

On our way out, we passed a man in a camouflage shirt and hat. He had jeans, and some big black boots. He nodded at Eric. Straight away, I just knew he was like us. He was a vampire too. His eyes went from Eric, to me, and then back at Eric again. He tipped his hat and nodded again. "Evenin' Sheriff."

Eric nodded back, but he didn't stop to chat. _Sheriff?_

There was some thumping coming from the trunk, though Pam and Eric ignored it. I eyed it wearily. Lou and Rick had to breathe, and I don't know if the trunk had a lot of air in it. I hesitated before I got into the car. We pulled out and Pam opened some TruBlood for me. As I drank it, I felt a lot better. The wounds on my stomach healed. I only had fading bruises on my wrist. It was like nothing had ever happened.

Pam was looking at me as I twisted my wrist this way and that, watching as the bruises vanished completely. How incredible was that? Did this happen all the time, if I just drank some of this blood? I only knew I was a vampire. I knew I wanted to drink from people, but I didn't want to harm anyone.

When we got to Fangtasia, Pam took my arm firmly and led me inside. She flicked on a light-switch when we got inside, and the first light to come on was a bright red light. It lit up the word 'Fangtasia' on the wall across from us. On the walls, there were pictures of vampires about to bite people. One said 'Dracula' above it. I had never heard of him before. Or at least, I couldn't remember if I had or not. Did we know him? Did he work at the bar like Pam?

Pam sat me at the bar, walking to the other side of it to get herself a TruBlood. I wondered why we had to stop a store if we had TruBlood right here all along. She looked up at me, and smirked. "You were hurt Ruby, we had to heal you before you got too weak for us to handle."

Eric walked in with Lou thrown over one shoulder, and Rick on the other. It was as if they weighed nothing to him. He gave me a small smile as he passed, to which Pam leaned against the bar and looked worried.

"How old am I Pam?"

"Well you were twenty-eight when you were turned last year. You just got used to drinking TruBlood and not wanting to bite humans so much. We're gonna have to start all over again, unless Eric can find out what happened to you," she sighed.

"Where is he taking them?" I asked, seeing the door leading downstairs swing shut. "Do I go with him?"

She rolled her eyes, giving a dry laugh. "Oh no sweetie. You don't go down to the dungeon with those scumbags. Do you remember anything about Fangtasia at all?" A dungeon...right.

Pam seemed to find the idea of me being in the dungeon very funny. She was still amused when Eric emerged a few moments later, with some blood on his shoulder. I knew from the scent that it wasn't his. He motioned for me to follow him. I looked to Pam. She nodded, smirking. I didn't hear anything from that dungeon once Eric had locked the door, so I followed him through a hall into an office.

There were pictures on the wall in here too. In the very corner, by his desk, was one with Eric, a man and then me. I'm the only one who is really smiling properly. I guess the other two are smirking, though the middle guy seems to be genuine and sincere. He had dark brown hair, light grey eyes. The flashlight made us vampires look even paler.

"That's Godric. My Maker," Eric said, glancing at the photo as he took a seat. I hovered at the edge of the wooden table, not quite sure what to do. "We visited him in Dallas a few months after you were turned for some business dealing with werewolves."

"We stayed with Godric?" I asked curiously. I was desperate to know at least a few things about our trip. It seemed like a good thing to start taking about with Eric. Something to break the ice really.

"Oh yes," he smiled. "Shared a bedroom, too."

I didn't understand what he was implying at first, until he winked. I felt stupid that I hadn't understood, and then more shocked that I knew Eric…_that well_, if you get my drift. I was so unsure of myself that that fact seemed impossible.

"Ruby, take a seat. There is nothing to be nervous about."

I did as Eric said automatically. I fidgeted with the sleeves of my jumper. His eyes were on me for at least three minutes before he actually asked me anything. When he did ask, his voice was firm, yet still gentle enough. Like he didn't want to frighten me.

"What do you remember Rubes?" Both Eric and Pam had used that nickname already. It sounded totally foreign to me.

"Um…I can remember waking up and having Lou in front of me."

"Lou is the man with black hair, yes?" Eric growled. I nodded, jumping at his tone. He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Do you…Do you remember _me_ at all?"

His voice was less strict now, not as angry. He didn't look away from my eyes as he waited patiently. His eyes were blue, like sapphire. He had blond hair to his shoulders, and he was beautiful, but I couldn't think of anything else. When I shook my head, he lost focus for a moment, looking down at the table. I felt guilty for having hurt him.

"I'm sorry Eric," I said quietly. "I don't."

"I…I have to go call Godric, tell him you have been found. Please excuse me for a moment," he said, standing and walking out before I could so much as look at him. There was a phone on the table in front of me. I realized he just wanted to leave so I wouldn't see his sadness. He was upset, all because I couldn't remember anything.

That left me feeling lonely in an unknown office. I most definitely did not feel like this Ruby woman. I felt like a stranger.


	3. Trade The Sun

**Chapter Two – Trade the Sun**

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><p>"<em>Even Angels have their wicked schemes, but you take that to new extremes." <em>**- Rihanna, Love The Way You Lie (Pt. 2)**

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><p>You will be surprised to know that Dracula does <em>not <em>work at the bar. I had asked Pam, who actually sniggered before informing me that he is a fictional character. The tourists who visit Eric's bar believe that vampires are really like him, and it's sort of an inside joke to have his pictures all around the bar. There were other pictures of famous characters I didn't know, with vampires being the main focus, even though some had human victims in them too. Usually they were old, vintage pictures from human movies during a time when they didn't know about us.

The vampires in the movies always seemed to have claws and very fake looking fangs. Pam and Eric were in their office, probably discussing me as I walked around the bar, fascinated by the pictures. I hadn't heard the key in the door, so distracted by tracing the outline of Dracula's fangs as he leaned over a terrified victim. His hair was slicked back, and he had a funny sort of cloak on. He looked quite comical. I giggled at his expression.

"Ruby! Hiya sweetie!" a shrill voice called. "You back from Dallas already?"

I squeaked, spinning too quickly. It was at vampire speed, and it frightened this lady. Well, I was afraid of her too. Automatically I bared my fangs. It was a defensive reaction. Immediately this lady began shrieking in the loudest, highest-pitched tone I had ever heard. I winced and clamped my hands over my ears, wishing she would stop shrieking so loudly. She didn't stop. I was certain she would scream for so long that the glasses in the bar would burst.

"_Ginger!_ Shut your goddamn mouth, you're giving me a headache," a voice ordered. Only Pam could be so blunt to this stranger. Well. To me she was a stranger, but Pam seemed to know her. "Ruby, retract your fangs, it's only Ginger."

I was still cautious. It took a few minutes for me to put my fangs away. I had to really focus on imagining them popping back in, which was hard because I was still so wary of this blonde woman. She didn't seem to notice however as she came to hug me. I looked at Pam, who motioned for me to just make up stuff as I went along. Thanks, Pam.

"H-Hello Ginger." My voice sounded too mechanical. I tried to sound friendlier. "Yes, I'm back from Dallas."

Pam and Eric had lied to her. They mustn't of told her I was missing. She was human. I associated humans with pain and draining, even if not all of them did it. I doubted Ginger would be working here if Eric had any sort of suspicion about her. Ginger did most of the talking in our conversation anyway, once I had said I was back from my little trip.

Pam seemed pleased that I had realized Ginger knew nothing of my amnesia or kidnapping. The blonde human was laughing now. I stared at her, not knowing who the Hell she was.

My mind went blank as she babbled. Ginger didn't seem to care though. She started jabbering on about how excited she was to see me, asking all sorts of questions about Dallas. Pam was quick to distract her, talking about fashion. I felt a little lost as I watched them. I let my mind wander. Last night, Eric brought me to our 'home', as he called it. It was cosy, and it was a massive house compared to the ones I had seen when we drove here to Shreveport, but it didn't feel like home to me. Not yet.

There were pictures of me there. All of my clothes were there, my shoes and books too. Eric offered to stay in a guestroom, leaving me in our normal bedroom. It surprised me that we shared a bed. I wanted him to stay, so he did. Was it totally irrational for me to fear anything in our home? I don't know. All I know is I felt better knowing Eric was there with me. And when I woke up, he was already sitting beside me, watching me as I got up.

How can I not remember my own life?

"Longshadow should be here in about an hour," Pam said, checking her jewel-encrusted watch that matched her leather outfit perfectly. "You'll manage until then Ginger. Come on Ruby."

I followed her to Eric's office, sliding into the same seat I had been in the night before. Pam stood behind him. So far I felt safer being around Eric more than anyone else, even Pam. He knew absolutely everything about me. He knew more about me than I did. He was constantly surprising me by telling me what I liked and didn't like. I was grateful.

"Alright Ruby, we're going to try and fill you in on some basic things in your life. It is important that when you go into the bar tonight that you act completely normal," Eric said, finally meeting my eyes. He smiled. It made me feel a little better, and I sat up with interest. "You were turned a year ago after I did something bad, and the Magister ordered a retribution."

"What did you do?"

When Eric hesitated and looked uncomfortable, Pam said, "He killed a werewolf and it got the vampires into deep shit. The Magister was furious. You and Eric already knew each other, and he knew it would hurt Eric to harm you. The werewolves saw it as a good deal." Leave it to Pam to cut out any details that might cushion the blow.

"Yes, thank you Pam," Eric frowned drily, glancing at her before looking back at me. "Anyway, you were twenty-eight. That part isn't extremely important right now. What is important however, is that you don't let on that anything is different about you. For the past three nights, vampires who frequent the bar have been curious about your sudden disappearance. I'm worried that if I keep you hidden until we figure out how to bring your memories back, one vampire might mention it to our Queen, Sophie-Anne. And we do not need her poking her nose in our business when you can barely remember anything."

I still felt a lot of guilt, because I might be putting them in some danger. "We have a Queen?"

I knew what a queen was, so Eric didn't have to explain that. There was a picture in the bar of a vampire lady with a large crown and elegant robes. I questioned Pam about her. She was just another character like Dracula that a human had dreamed up and made a movie or book about. Is Sophie-Anne like that, with crowns and robes?

"Yes, we do have a Queen. If she thinks anything is amiss about you, she will take care of things herself. She might think you will say the wrong thing to a human, or harm someone. Anything that puts too much focus on her is bad. She's known for being a little…eccentric," Eric said. That didn't explain things fully to me, but I said nothing.

"Do I work here too?" I asked, looking at Pam this time. She smirked.

"Did we forget to mention you're something of a show-off at times Ruby? A bit over-confident and loud, which is why it is important for you to act normal," she said. I nodded. Eric was watching me with an unreadable expression, though I think he was just making sure I was taking everything in. "You mainly take pictures with the tourists, chat with fanatics and such."

"Tourists," I repeated, committing everything to my mind. It was as blank as a fresh canvas, and I wanted to know as much about myself as I could. It was frustrating, having to listen to people tell you things about yourself, simply because you _should_ know these things. Pam continued to tell me about the dancers, and other humans who worked at the bar. Longshadow would have to be informed about my amnesia, because he was here most often and Eric really trusted him.

"Biting is not allowed here Ruby, and tonight you will sit with Eric and tell him whenever you go anywhere," Pam instructed.

I paused as I tried to think of what other questions I wanted to ask. I had so many it was hard to choose. "How was I taken, Eric?"

His eyes flickered with sadness, but he was very quick to cover his emotions. I needed to know. Pam looked down at him. It was clear that he found it harder to talk about than I had expected. He cleared his throat, sitting up in his chair and propping his elbows on the table. My eyes never left his.

"You wanted to stay at home three nights ago, instead of going to Fangtasia. I left by myself. It was around 2am when I felt your fear, then pain. By the time I made it back home, you were gone. There were two dead bodies outside the house, so you obviously put up a fight. The two disgusting humans in the basement had back-up, and lots of it. You mightn't be an old vampire, but you're certainly strong enough at least four humans alone, though I'm starting to think there were more than that. I'm not sure how much silver they had either. I believe you were lured outside before they attacked."

I nodded. It was hard to be too upset over something I couldn't remember, but I did feel guilty for harming humans. I couldn't help feeling guilt, I just didn't like the idea that my old self was a killer. Though it _was _self defense…"Lou said there was a ritual."

Both Pam and Eric looked at me in surprise this time. Eric stood and walked around the large table, kneeling in front of me and taking my hand. The ritual part had both them both on edge, their eyes blazing. They looked a little confused, too. Eric looked right into my eyes.

"Tell me exactly what he said Rubes. This is important." I had guessed it was important. I didn't have many memories in my head, so it wasn't hard to pinpoint what Lou had said to Rick.

"He was happy. He looked at Rick, and said that someone called Meg was right. I would be drained within a couple of hours, and their debt would be paid off. The werewolves wouldn't be after them anymore."

Eric's hand tightened on mine. "Werewolves? Are you certain these two men were the only ones there?"

"Yes," I replied. You could practically see the gears grinding in his head. Eric stood, walking out of the room. Pam rolled her eyes. For a few moments, I watched her as she moved around the office, putting away letters and closing the books that were open on Eric's desk. She looked like an assistant, very professional.

"Ruby, I'm going to go help Ginger open up the bar. Find Eric, and stick with him," Pam said. I stayed in my seat for a few seconds, hearing Ginger's shrill voice as she chatted excitedly to Pam. She was a fan of vampires, which I had found out quickly after meeting her, and this was her dream job. Finally I stood and went to search for my Maker.

Of course I couldn't help looking at each individual picture on the walls in the hallway, still amazed by these characters humans had dreamed up when they thought of vampires. One thing they got right was our pale skin though. There was a poster for some events coming up at Fangtasia. One poster said 'Life Starts At Night' with some menacing fangs smiling at the end of the sentence.

I passed Ginger on my way, and she said Eric was in the basement. She whispered it as if it were a secret. I was still wary of her, making sure to stay on the other side of the hall when she passed. Pam found my newfound fear of Ginger to be comical. A vampire being frightened of an annoyingly loud human. Absolutely hilarious in her eyes.

Ginger was right. I could hear Eric's movements even though the basement door was closed. I opened it slowly, quietly. I peered down into the darkness, cautiously putting one foot out as if I would fall and never be able to climb back out. I tapped the first step, testing it out. When I deemed it safe enough to actually walk down the steps, I silently cursed myself for being so nervous. I hadn't fallen into a black hole or anything. I had nothing to be afraid of.

Except for a wild-looking Eric Northman with blood streaming down his face and matted into his hair, growling from deep within his chest. He looked like an animal, holding Lou by the neck. Lou's leg was twisted into an unnatural angle, and he was screaming. I hated his screams. I hated loud noises. This was one of the first things we had discovered since I woke up, and it wasn't all that helpful. Loud noises freaked me out, just as Ginger's screaming had done. Once again, out came my fangs from the fear.

Vampires are supposed to be fearless, just like Eric seemed to be. Was the old Ruby a scaredy-cat, or was this just from my lack of memories? Rick was looking like he would wet his pants as he watched Eric. Eric was much bigger and taller than both the humans, towering over them easily. It added to their fear.

Lou was begging Eric to put him down, but Eric only squeezed tighter.

"I do not like it when someone messes with _my_ family, human," he growled. "Surely someone as stupid as you can comprehend that."

I took a few steps forward, feeling too curious for my own good. Lou had a black eye, and his other eye wasn't much better. It was swelled shut. His neck was bloody, even the parts that Eric wasn't squeezing to death. I couldn't see much else bar his twisted leg, because Eric was blocking him.

Rick suddenly lunged forward towards me, though he had a chain around his neck that held him back. I watched the desperate look in his eyes, tugging on his chains. "Please, Ruby look, w-we're sorry! I-It's…We had a d-debt…"

Eric snarled as he kicked Rick with ease, throwing the man back against the wall. The basement smelled of sweat and fear, coming from the two humans. I felt frightened myself, which was why I found it hard to retract my fangs. "Tell me who you owed a debt to."

It didn't take long for him to get an answer. Rick's eyes darted to Lou's, and Eric turned back to Lou. He forced Lou to look into his eyes, and very softly said, "Lou, it's alright." Lou relaxed visibly. Rick let out a loud whimper.

"Oh shit man, he's doing that hypnotizing stuff! He's Glamouring you Lou!"

Lou didn't seem to hear anyone else but Eric, his eyes dazed and dizzy.

"Who did you owe a debt to Lou?" Eric murmured calmly, never looking away. I didn't know what Glamouring was.

"Meg," Lou whispered softly. "Meg Jones, this real scary werewolf lady. She lives in Bon Temps."

Eric smirked, throwing Lou to the ground with a thump. "Very good. We're just beginning. Come along Ruby, I need to clean up before the fangbangers arrive."

He ran up the stairs, two steps at a time leaving the humans sniveling and crying. With one final glance, I turned to follow him. Wait, what the Hell was a fangbanger?


	4. Three Cheers

**A/N: **_Thanks for all the lovely reviews and alerts and favourites! :D I bet Dracula working in Fangtasia would've been a good twist but unfortunately…that isn't gonna happen ;) And in this, Ruby finds an interest in human drama shows, sort of like how in the books, Eric becomes fascinated by Buffy the Vampire Slayer when he loses his memory :D Enjoy, readers ;D_

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><p><strong>Chapter Three – Three Cheers<strong>

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><p>"<em>Ambition is the immoderate desire for power."<em>_  
><em>**- ****Baruch Spinoza**

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><p>Human beings were by far the most amazing beings I had ever had the pleasure to study. I was kneeling in front of the TV, fascinated by a show called 'Desperate Housewives'. It followed the lives of average humans, trying to cope with everyday situations and problems. Pam sat on the couch behind me, a scowl on her face. She had her legs tucked beneath her, her head propped on her elbow. Eric had told her to look after me tonight while he did 'research' on my memory problem. I don't know what he was doing, but I was too busy watching the humans deal with mysterious problems on their street.<p>

"Ruby, are you sure you don't want to watch something that doesn't make me want to gauge my eyes out?" Pam asked.

I shook my head, never blinking. I was mere inches from the screen, but it didn't hurt my eyes much. Pam had a pink tracksuit on, bored out of her mind from watching these shoes for over thee nights. According to Pam, humans were only good for one thing only and that was blood. I found them much more diverse however.

How every little thing affected their lives. The humans in real life all seemed to have very scheduled, boring waiting-for-the-weekend kind of lives. They endured the mind-numbing nine-to-five jobs in the hopes of escaping it by coming to Fangtasia and gaping at the vampires. I discovered that not all their lives were so boring when I found drama shows on the television.

I think Eric was glad I had some sort of a distraction. Pam 'accidentally' said that he had been worrying that I would want to come with him on his little research trip involving werewolves. He worried that someone would recognize me, and that would bring a whole world of trouble. What irritated me was that he didn't tell me he was going to see werewolves. He just said 'research', and left it at that. I was concerned about him. Could these werewolves erase his memory, ambush him with the witches?

Pam let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "At least come away from the screen Rubes. You're going to go cross-eyed any minute now."

The doorbell rang, and Pam visibly tensed. My eyes were finally pulled away from the screen where a human woman was telling her husband about a sordid affair, focusing my attention on Pam instead. She raised an eyebrow, trying to look like there was nothing to be afraid of. Slowly she stood and walked to the door, opening it.

I could hear her sigh of utter relief when she found it was only Longshadow. I didn't hear what they said, because I went back to watching the humans on the screen.

"Hello there Ruby."

I jumped a mile high at the sound of the voice, calming down when I saw it was only Eric with a smirk on his face. He was sitting cross-legged beside me on the wooden floor, looking a little childish. He looked up at the TV with distaste before sighing.

"You're still watching this crap."

"Eric!" I smiled. "You're back."

"Great observation skills, as always my darling," he smirked.

"Did you find the werewolves?"

His smirk faltered a little, though he tried not to let it show. "I did Rubes, and they say they know nothing about any kidnappings. I've Glamoured people from all around our area, though no one seems to know them. However I did get one piece of information."

I leaned forward, eyes wide. Eric had even gotten humans involved. Lou and Rick had been in that basement for over three days. Lou was drifting in and out of consciousness, though Eric made sure he stayed alive. His leg was awfully mangled. It hurt me to even think about it. Rick was close to breaking point.

"The werewolves reported numerous occasions were they believed a new rival group of rogue witches and werewolves were causing trouble and trying to take over their territory. They drank V, and got humans addicted to it so they would become dependent and willing to do anything. That's where you came in. The ritual part…I'm not so sure why they erased your memory, but I do know you were just a blood-bag in their eyes," he growled. I vaguely noticed Pam coming into the room, sitting back in her previous seat.

"Longshadow had some forms that needed filling out," she said.

"I apologize Pam I was a little busy figuring out what happened to Ruby," Eric snapped harshly. Pam didn't take offense to it.

She was busy checking her nails. Eric stayed staring at her for a few moments before he looked back at me and smiled half-heartedly. "We'll find out what happened Ruby. It's only a matter of time."

* * *

><p>Leaning forward with curious eyes, I watched Eric as he stormed around his office. My last few nights had been filled with sitting on the sofa with Eric's arm around me, watching the human TV shows that intrigued me so much or sitting on the throne in Fangtasia. However, he didn't like them so much. Getting caught up in the tangle of humans lives was rather boring to Eric. He thought of us as the superior beings.<p>

Tonight he was in a foul mood. I don't know what set him off, only that I should wait for him to calm down. He paced back and forth behind his wooden desk, clenching and unclenching his fists. Sometimes Eric would speak of a time long ago when I still had my memories, and he'd freeze in the middle of a sentence. He would be suddenly reminded that I had no recollection of what happened, and his eyes would mist over before he changed the subject.

I wondered who was hurting more from my amnesia – Eric or me? I was still learning the basics of being a vampire. I only knew that the old Ruby was stubborn, loud, over-confident and something of a show-off who was smart and admirable. It was hard to be like someone I didn't remember. I was just curious about everything, constantly having to ask questions in order to understand the small things that people never had to think twice about.

I could sometimes overstep personal boundaries. I have only met a few human strangers at the bar once or twice, and I asked them what it feels like to feel their hearts beating in their chest. They became uncomfortable. I wished I knew a human well enough to ask them questions. Pam couldn't remember what it was like to be a human. Eric found emotions to be a weakness. Neither could tell me what it was like.

"This is my fault," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"If I hadn't left you on the night you were taken, if I had insisted that you join me, the old Ruby would be sitting here in front of me, making some sarcastic comment or something," he sighed. That hurt a little. I felt like it was my own fault for not being this 'old Ruby'. It was frustrating. Eric saw my sad expression.

Out of habit, Eric would still kiss me. Never too much, because he would always remember that I knew nothing about him and it was surprising for me, but at the odd time he would end up doing something affectionate. That in itself was shocking enough. It was hard to imagine Eric being anything but strong and confident, so it was amazing to see he had a vulnerable side.

"You shouldn't feel guilty Eric. Things always happen for a reason, Ginger told me that." That was true, she had told me that. And I had carefully stayed on the other side of the room as she told me, making sure I didn't get too close to her. I was finding it easier to talk to humans, and while I found them fascinating, I was still afraid that they were secretly Drainers or something. The drama shows never mentioned Drainers, but they did sometimes involve vampire neighbors, or have TruBlood in the background of their set, making sure they were polite to the vampire community.

Eric had just kissed me now, pulling me from my thoughts. I can't say I didn't enjoy it though. He was very sweet and gentle, before he would pull away and sigh. Yes, Eric was having a very hard time with the New Ruby when his heart belonged to the old one.

* * *

><p>"Do you remember how to play Twister?"<p>

I blinked. "Twister?" I repeated slowly, looking at Eric like he was bonkers. "No. What is that?"

His smile grew wider. "One of your favorite games. There is a large plastic mat with colored dots on it. You get a board with the same colors on it, with a needle. You spin the needle and you have to move your foot or hand to whatever color you get. Naked Twister with you is always a blast."

If I were human I think I would be a hundred different shades of red as I looked away from Eric. I heard him chuckle. He liked to remind me of the things I used to like. The movies I loved, books I loved, even colors and smells. My eyes roamed Fangtasia, and I found myself wishing I could talk to some humans. Eric leaned back in his throne, mulling things over as per usual.

A vampire with dark brown hair raised his TruBlood bottle at me in some form of a greeting, though he quickly looked back at his companion. A blonde woman with brown eyes and tanned skin, looking really pretty in a nice sundress. Funny. Wearing a _sun_dress to a vampire bar like this. She followed his gaze and smiled nervously at me. Whatever the vampire said to her about me, it put her at ease a little.

"Bill Compton," Eric smirked coolly.

I didn't take my eyes off the table. "Who?"

"He's an acquaintance, though you've only met him once or twice when he was here on business." 'Business' with Eric could mean anything from being tortured in the basement to playing naked Twister. He isn't always exact. Something tells me Eric had definitely not been playing any games with Bill lately from the look in their eyes, naked or not. I looked to the ground, feeling as if I was blushing. Eric smiled at me.

We forgot about them as a man with balding hair approached Eric. Uh-oh. This part always confused me a bit. A few humans would ask Eric to bite them. Sometimes they would ask _me,_ and I would feel uneasy. Of course I would like to drink their blood, but I'd probably never stop and they'd end up dead. Eric seemed to hate it whenever a human asked me. He would send them away wishing the ground would swallow them up or that they had never been born in the first place.

He was practically kissing Eric's feet. Eric was totally uninterested.

The man's desperate eyes slid to meet mine. Once again, I could only ask so many questions. How could humans do this? I felt slightly bad for him. His heartbeat was thudding like crazy, as if it would burst from the nerves. Did we really look that threatening?

"I-I think you're beautiful," he whispered.

It was very strange to be complimented by a man I don't know like this. Do I return the compliment? Do we become friends or something? I'd like to have a human friend. Then I could make memories myself, instead of relying on everyone else to tell me how things work and having to imagine what the Old Ruby would do. Something as simple as human laws and customs confused me horribly. A handshake boggled me at times too. Vampires never shake hands, but I've seen humans do it.

Before I could do anything, Eric had kicked him away. Such a small movement could hurt a human very badly. I tracked the man with my eyes, watching him crash into a table. Ouch. Humans are just flesh and bone, so easily broken. At least vampires can heal themselves. What I knew about Eric without needing any memories was that he thought the ends justified the means, and that cruelty was something he enjoyed. It worried me.

"So, Bill's human is staring," Eric said, as if the whole kicking a human across the room thing had never happened.

"I like his companion. She's human. She seems…friendly."

At least, compared to the other women who thought tape covering their breasts could be classified as clothing, with spiked dog collars around their necks and violent tattoos covering their bodies. Yeah. His companion seemed much nicer.

"Why do they fascinate you so much Ruby? They never did before." The Old Ruby was rearing her head again, and the comparison was obvious. I just _wasn't_ her anymore, no matter how hard I tried to remember her life. Until I got my memories back, Ruby Mathers was an entirely different person.

"I don't know. They tend to complicate everything, make their lives more difficult than they need to be. I just find them interesting."

"Would you like to meet her? Make friends, perhaps?" Eric asked with a sly smirk.

He summoned them before I could respond. Bill dutifully brought his human to us. Eric had carefully explained that once a vampire said that a human was 'his' or 'hers', I cannot under any circumstances bite her. He wouldn't even tell me what punishment would happen if I did, but I believed everything Eric said. I trusted him more than anyone.

Bill made our greetings easier. Since he already knew the old Ruby, he knew how she acted. More than I did. I smiled and nodded with as much confidence as I could muster.

"Hello Bill," I smiled.

"Ruby," he nodded, his voice sounding friendlier. He practically spat out Eric's name though. "Hello Eric."

Bill purposely pushed his human to sit beside me. I believe he wanted her to be safe. Out of Eric and I, he deemed me the safer vampire. Perhaps the old Ruby had a soft spot for humans such as this lady . Eric looked at Bill with minimal interest. Pam had joined us, leaning against Eric's seat looking bored out of her mind. Does anything please Pam?

"Bill. Long time no see."

Bill shifted in his seat. "I've been mainstreaming."

"So I see. Ruby is interested in your companion."

Bill raised his eyebrows. This seemed to relax him more than knowing Eric wanted to meet this human. He looked to me, motioning towards the human who smiled nervously. I returned it. At least she had manners; more than most of the other humans in this bar. They only respected me because of Eric. Even I could sense that, amnesia or not.

"Oh. Well, this is my friend-..".

"Sookie Stackhouse," Eric said smoothly. I repeated her name in my head. Sookie. Sookie Stackhouse. I liked her already.

"I told him," Pam said. "She's in my vault."

I wished I had such a strong vault as Pam. Maybe then it would've been harder for the weres to take my memories away.

"Pleased to meet you!" she beamed, outstretching her hand.

I shook it enthusiastically. This made Bill raise his eyebrows again, and I realized my small mistake. Vampires never shake hands, Eric had told me so. It was seen as a human gesture, something vampires would never 'stoop' to. Eric's eyes narrowed, probably wondering if Bill would find this so strange he might mention it to other vampires who would take more of an interest.

"Hi Sookie, I'm Ruby Mathers." Again, my old self sounded like a stranger to me. "Welcome to Fangtasia."

Pam rolled her eyes, probably dying from how nice Sookie was. Internally, she was finding Sookie's manners and kindness utterly revolting. She would have no problem expressing it if she had to. That's something I liked about Pam. She was so blunt and honest about things, so I knew where I stood with her. I could ask her a lot of questions about things in my life, and she would answer them with total honesty.

"Well you're just the darn nicest vampire in this place," she giggled breathlessly, eyes darting to meet Bill's. He nodded in approval. Eric was watching with interest. He didn't see the need to converse with humans at all. "I-I was just wonderin' if I could ask a question- …"

"If you have any questions, you should ask them of me," Eric interrupted firmly.

All three of us – Pam, Eric and I – had known exactly why he had interrupted Sookie so abruptly. If she asked any kind of question relating to something that happened before I woke up with Lou in that apartment, I wouldn't know the answer. Bill would probably expect me to, and he'd grow suspicious. My memory loss would be exposed, and Eric would be in trouble with the Queen for not reporting it sooner. He had been lucky to have werewolves who owed him favors, otherwise they might have ratted him out to other vampires already about his nosey questions.

Sookie took a deep breath, pulling two photos from her purse. "Alright-y. You recognize these ladies?"

This would be a long night, judging by Pam's sigh.


	5. Escape from the Dragon House

**A/N: razzie11 – **_I wasn't able to send you a message, so thanks for the review! Thanks for the alerts and favourites too everyone :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter Four –<strong>** Escape from the Dragon House**

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><p>"<em>If I am what I have and if I lose what I have, who then am I?"<em>

**Erich Fromm.**

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><p>Sookie presented us with two rumbled photographs, showing two pretty young girls. One wore a tiara that sparkled in the camera's flash. They must be missing. She seemed concerned about their whereabouts, or perhaps they were already dead and she just needed closure in knowing what they did in their last moments. Eric claimed he didn't know them, though Sookie looked doubtful of that. Pam knew them, however.<p>

"Were they in your vault?" Sookie asked with a hint of sarcasm. She had some courage to be able to stand up to Pam without even blinking. Bill squeezed Sookie's hand to shut her up. Pam didn't find it very funny either. She raised an eyebrow. In her mind, she was mentally imagining ripping this Southern woman to shreds.

Sookie shifted in her seat beside me, trying to avoid Eric's gaze. He looked pretty bored with the situation. I think he only summoned these people for my benefit. Now that we had started talking, he was getting bored with them. I was only becoming more interested by the minute.

"I find your human fascinating Bill," I smiled. I thought I was being polite. Apparently I had touched a nerve.

"She is _mine_," he snarled.

"Ruby wasn't trying to claim her Compton, so I would suggest you watch your tone," Eric hissed back straight away, his own tone angry and irritated. Sookie looked from one vampire to the other, finally choosing to look into my eyes instead. I felt instantly guilty for having upset Bill.

"Yes, I am his," Sookie nodded.

"I apologize Sookie for making you uncomfortable," I smiled softly.

Bill's tense stance relaxed just as Pam and Eric's reacted. They watched Bill's shocked face carefully. I realized my small mistake. Apparently the old Ruby had been something of a Meanie, just like Eric in a way. She never said sorry for anything or so I've been told. I looked away from Bill's wide eyes, back to Sookie's. She had lovely brown doe eyes and a smile on her face.

Both Eric and Pam rolled their eyes at my apology once Bill had looked away from me.

They missed how the old Ruby didn't say sorry to anyone. Pam let out an annoyed sigh, fixing her hair and watching the scene with bored eyes. I ignored her, content with making a human friend instead for a while. Instead of watching the TV shows, I had the real thing in front of me.

Bill and Eric began chatting. Pam leaned down, very close to my ear so that Bill wouldn't hear us.

"Be careful Ruby, you hear me? You're acting a little too nice to this human."

Sookie eyed us wearily, looking nervous. She became distracted though, her head drifting to look at the crowd instead. She mustn't trust us vampires much, even if she was here with Bill, who Eric was talking to now. I turned to look into Pam's eyes and smiled.

"It was an accident. If I don't remember the old Ruby, how am I supposed to act like her?"

Truth be told I didn't like this old Ruby. She didn't sound very nice to me. Pam frowned, but let it go, straightening up and putting her hand on the back of Eric's throne. Eric himself had finished his conversation with Bill. Hopefully Bill had noticed nothing.

Honestly, would something as simple as a small apology from me send him a-running to Queen Sophie-Anne?

Eric couldn't help his over-protective tendencies. He seemed to think everyone was an enemy bar Pam and Longshadow. Anyone else really couldn't be trusted with my safety anymore. I found Eric beautiful as I watched him, though it seemed I wasn't the only one. Humans all over the bar spent most of their nights watching him. Some had actually offered themselves to me, and he said that this wasn't the first time it had happened.

I declined of course, my stomach twisting at the forlorn expression on their faces as they walked away sadly. They spent their time wishing I would bite them! How weird was that?

Suddenly Sookie spoke up for the first time in a while. "We gotta go!"

Hm. That was abrupt. Pam looked at her like she was some rude little human she'd love to squash. I was just making friends with Sookie, and she wanted to leave already. She seemed quite panicked.

"Sookie!" Bill exclaimed, looking unsure.

"Eric the cops are coming. We gotta get out of here," Sookie said quickly.

A surge of anger ran through Eric's bond. I didn't understand the threat at all. Cops? I racked my brain, trying to recall what cops were again. Words never confused me before. I sighed. Eric looked at Sookie angrily.

"Tell me you're not an undercover cop," Eric frowned.

"I'm not but that man in the hat is!" Sookie pointed towards a man by the dancers. It covered most of his face, but once I focused on him I could feel his nervousness. I watched him for a moment.

"Even if you're right, we're doing nothing illegal here," Eric replied smoothly.

"There's a vampire named Tara in the bathrooms with that man you kicked before, she's feeding on him."

How did Sookie know all of this? Was she really human, or some kind of supernatural Eric hadn't told me about? I only knew a few. I was the most confused out of everyone, looking around. I held Eric's hand a little tighter.

"How do you know this?" Pam asked.

Before Sookie could even open her mouth, a bunch of humans came running in carrying weapons. In the link of an eye, Eric was out of his seat, tugging on my hand. Bill and Sookie bolted for the back door, as did Pam, but I was so confused I sat there for a moment.

"Ruby, come on!" Eric urged.

"What's going on-…" I asked, but he lifted me carelessly and flung me over his shoulder without a second glance. Ouch, his shoulder dug into my stomach painfully. I actually found it fun, being thrown over his shoulder, because it made me feel so tall and high up. We were out the door, and I could see Bill carrying Sookie to a car, rushing out of Fangtasia as quickly as he could.

Eric had the Corvette at the back in of the parking lot, reserved for the employees. His sleek red Corvette stood out amongst the other cars, looking more expensive and lavish than ever before. He was talking to Pam in Swedish again, with my name popping up every few seconds. He sounded urgent.

I was flung into the backseat without much consideration, and he strapped me in as if to be sure I wouldn't bolt out of the car for some random reason. Pam slid into the passenger seat, and after a moment of making sure I was okay, Eric took the driver's seat. I was totally bewildered. The humans had barged into Fangtasia, and I doubt many of the mortal customers had made it out in time.

Thankfully Sookie was okay though, and that was good.

"Do you think Bill noticed Ruby much?" Pam asked Eric. They were doing that thing where they talked as if I wasn't right there in the car with them again. Eric looked in the rear-view mirror, almost as if he thought the cops would be following us.

I didn't think an apology was enough for him to go to Sophie-Anne, and Eric didn't either. But he was cautious. "You saw his face Pam. He mightn't let it go."

"Mm. It's strange, seeing Ruby apologize to a human like that."

"I'm sorry," I whispered quietly, looking out the window instead of looking right at Pam. "I just like Sookie is all. I wanted a human friend."

Eric looked at me from the rear-view mirror, looking as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders before he tore his gaze away to look back at the road, sighing as he did so.

* * *

><p>Two nights later, I was in some pyjama shorts and a large t-shirt, with some nice warm white socks on, watching Eric as he moved around the office he kept at home. He wore boxer shorts too, and a wifebeater shirt. This was his version of nightwear when he wasn't working. Even if someone knocked on his front door, he could change in an instant into the cool vampire the humans had come to know.<p>

Compared to the office at Fangtasia, this one was more homely and nicer in my opinion. It had a black, grey and white theme. Sleek marble black floors and large white fluffy rugs, the works. I took a seat on the leather sofa across the room by the arch leading into the office, cocking my head to the left to watch him.

"What's wrong Eric?"

He looked at me, and I could see the strain in his eyes for the first time. He had kept it together for such a long time, it was strange to see him cracking beneath the pressure now that we were alone. He sighed.

"It seems some money has gone missing from Fangtasia."

"Stolen?" I asked. "Who would do that to you?"

Eric laughed. "Definitely not you or Pam. Ginger? It's possible. Longshadow wouldn't do that to us. He has known me for too long. He knows the repercussions. Unless one of the dancers managed to take it." He stared at the ground for all of three minutes.

"Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, leaning against his table, raising an eyebrow. "I'm fine. I can deal with this."

"Eric, don't lie," I replied sternly, crossing my arms like Pam did sometimes.

He looked at me for a few moments before he cracked a strained smile. "I'm worried Rubes. Not just about the money. I can't find a single lead on what happened to you on the night you were…the night you were taken from me, and I'm worried that we won't ever get your memories back."

"I don't think I want them back," I muttered. There was a pregnant silence, making me look to the ground instead of watching Eric.

In a flash, he was in front of me, his eyes wide. "What? Why the Hell not?"

He sounded cross, irritated, concerned. I decided to tell him the truth, since he had been honest with me instead of insisting he was fine when I knew he wasn't. His brows furrowed together, and I stared into his intense blue eyes. It was always difficult not to lose yourself in Eric's eyes.

"The Ruby Mathers you knew doesn't sound very nice to me Eric. I mean, she must be cruel if it's so shocking for her to apologize to a human being! Was I really that bad?"

Eric sat on the couch beside me, taking my hands and leaning his forehead against mine with an exasperated growl. "You are _not _cruel! You are the kindest person I've ever met Ruby! You were just known for being stubborn!"

"There is a difference between being stubborn and being rude to humans Eric."

He kissed me then, which was surprising. Perhaps he had no other answer, and he didn't want to admit it. I wished that I could remember everything about Eric. It seemed unfair that he had to remind me about my old life so much while I knew nothing about his own bar the details like his age and where he came from, the ones he had to tell me. I meant the personal details that couples knew, like his favourite kind of music and what books he liked, what blood type he preferred. I felt like a burden. One he had to put up with until the old Ruby returned. When he stood up, running his hands through his hair, I wondered what else could go wrong for him. First my problem, now the money.

"You'll understand Ruby. You are _not_ cruel. That's my job," he smirked. I was still dazed from that kiss. Eric was one thousand years old. Obviously from how perfect his technique was, those years had not been wasted. If only I could run right up to him and return that kiss. That sweetness, how surprisingly gentle a Viking vampire could be. I just felt as if I didn't know him well enough.

"It looks like we'll be seeing your human friend again soon. Sookie, that was her name, wasn't it?"

"Yes. We should get vaults as strong as Pam's," I joked, grinning at him. I had an unfamiliar feeling in my stomach as I looked at him. It felt like butterflies fluttering around in there, making me feel giddy. Like I wanted to impress him and be around him as much as possible. The latter wasn't difficult, because he rarely let me out of his sight anyway, so worried was he that he was convinced I would be taken again.

Eric always tried to pretend that he didn't feel emotions, but I could see a vulnerable side in there. He tried to hide it, but he obviously felt the pressure sometimes.

"I believe Sookie has a little power she hasn't told us about," Eric smiled back. The butterflies sprung to life again. "Maybe humans can be interesting after all."


	6. Soul

**A/N: **_I love your reviews! Thank you! :) Now I know in the show, Sookie goes to Fangtasia in a totally different way but whatever, Ruby does what Ruby wants. Lol ;) :D_

**_***Cursing! You've been warned***_**

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><p><strong>Chapter Five – Soul<strong>

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><p>"<em>Dreams are true while they last, and do we not live in dreams?<em>_"_  
><strong>- <strong>**Alfred Lord Tennyson**

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><p>The map was half-crumpled in my hands, and in my excitement I hadn't realized it was upside down until Pam let out an annoyed sigh and grabbed it from me. I looked at her with wide eyes, hearing the soft sound of the engine humming. I hadn't forgotten how to drive. Things like riding bikes and being able to drive were skills that the ritual hadn't wiped out, surprisingly. It just got rid of all my memories instead.<p>

It had taken over an hour of complaining to convince Eric to allow me to go to Merlotte's. A human bar! Can you believe it? He really did let me go. Though I had to take Pam with me. They watched me like a hawk. If they couldn't be there with me in a room, Longshadow or Ginger were instead. Though Ginger had no idea anything was wrong with me. If we ever were attacked again, her screaming would wake up everyone in America before anything tried to so much as lay a finger on her.

"Keep going straight Ruby. I thought you said you could remember how to read a map?"

"I can," I replied, lying through my teeth. I ahd been a little lost. "I just got a tiny bit confused is all."

Pam sighed and looked out the window. If she kept sighing all the time she'd deflate. Hey, then I could go to Merlotte's all by myself with some vampire chaperone with me. When we did make it to Merlotte's, I was almost giddy from excitement. Sookie worked here, and we'd have to go get Bill afterwards.

This was going to be fun. Pulling into the parking lot, I noticed a few pick-up trucks dotted around it. I opened my door, looking at Pam. She smiled wryly.

"You have ten minutes. If you're not out by then, I'm coming in, and you're never getting out of our sight again. Understand?"

I nodded. "Of course Pam. I'd never disobey you." But my giggle gave me away, and she frowned.

"At least you're acting a little bit like the old Ruby."

Yeah. _Great._ 'Cause she sounds just lovely.

Instead of focusing on my past and my forgotten memories, I turned on my heels and marched right into Merlotte's with a big grin on my face. I wore a nice flowery dress, because I didn't know how humans normally dressed in a place like this. The door swung open, and I stepped inside with my hands on my hips. The men mainly wore jeans and chequered shirts and some mountain boots, I noted, not the wife beaters and leather jackets like Eric. The women wore basically the same or some dresses. One lady who was dancing a little too provocatively with a man looked like she'd fit right in over at Fangtasia.

All eyes were on me as I looked around for Sookie. A man came up to me, his eyes slightly wider than normal. He looked irritated to see a vampire, but I ignored it. He wore a red shirt, rolled to his sleeves and the same giant boots most of the men wore around here. He gave me a very strained smile as a greeting.

"Hi!" I beamed.

"H-Hi…" he said, less enthusiastically. "Can I help you ma'am?"

"Oh, my name's Ruby," I replied. "I'm looking for Sookie! Sookie Stackhouse?"

"Damn Sookie and her vampire friends-…" the man trailed off, running his hands through his wild unruly hair. He was tanned, his dark eyes darting around to see who was staring. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll go get her."

He walked off to the backroom I'm guessing, where they had storage. We had rooms like that in Fangtasia. Near the door leading to the basement, where we still had Rick and Lou being held. I stood, not knowing what to do. Somehow I had planned on meeting a lot of humans tonight, but they all seemed to be terrified of me judging by their heartbeats.

There was a dark-skinned man by the kitchen window, and when we locked eyes he immediately looked away. Well. This wasn't the reception I'd been expecting. I leaned against a booth, waiting. Eventually the humans went back to their mindless chattering, and the words 'bloodsucker' and 'evil-doer' were thrown around. It didn't put a downer on my night though.

Getting to be by myself for five minutes was good enough for me.

One waitress with brown hair looked at me every few minutes. She had a scent of vampire on her, and I narrowed my eyes to figure it out. Did she frequent vampire bars? Pam was never that polite about it. She just called them 'fangbangers'. Her heartbeat would increase if she had to walk past me.

However, she was nowhere near as bad as the red-headed waitress however. She eyed me like I was the devil.

"Hello," I smiled when she passed.

Her hand reached to touch the silver cross on her necklace, looking flustered. I saw the utter relief on her face when she spotted Sookie walking over. Sookie herself looked surprised to see me, and also a little worried too. I stood up straight and walked to her.

"Ruby? What are you doin' here?"

"Eric sent me to bring you to Fangtasia!" I smiled. "All by myself. Well. Okay, no that's a lie. Pam's in the car. But still, we need to pick up Bill too."

Sookie bit her lip, turning to the man behind her. He was the man from earlier, the one with the red shirt. "Sam…can I take the rest of the night off?"

It was only eight or nine. I had gotten up early enough, though Eric had been up at six without even having the Bleeds. He said it was because of his age. Sam looked torn, but he nodded with a huff. Sookie grinned and gave him a peck before running to go grab her things. Again, Sam looked at me awkwardly.

"So…How do you like Merlotte's?" he asked, smiling.

"I love it!" I said seriously.

He blinked, "Really?"

"Yes, of course. I like humans. It's a nice place."

"Oh," he said, surprised. "Well. Thank you."

Clearly this place rarely got vampires. Sam really did seem touched that I liked the place. My real intention to get to know humans wouldn't happen. That much was obvious from the loud squeal the red-headed waitress gave as I waved goodbye at her.

I saw the relief on Pam's face when I walked outside with Sookie beside me. "Eric wants to see me?" she asked.

"Yes! Someone has taken some money at Fangtasia."

Pam was silent during the car ride, and I drove, glancing out at the shops that we passed, until I noticed one place. A shop, with pink walls on the outside, and 'Belle's Boutique' written in swirly black writing on the window. A sudden flash of something came to mind, as if a film was playing in my mind and I was just watching it by myself

_I remembered something. Pam, looking at me with a raised eyebrow as I tried on a yellow dress with green flowers on it. I looked at her for some approval. __She was tapping her pink heels against the wooden floorboards in the clothes shop, with a nervous looking teenage girl hovering in the background._

"_Did you turn fucking colour-blind when you were turned Ruby, or do you just have no sense of style?" she asked curtly._

"_You don't like it Pam? What a surprise…"_

"_If you didn't dress like a girl scout I wouldn't have to be so blunt."_

"_Hey! Eric likes my style."_

"_It's not the clothes Eric likes sweetheart, it's what's underneath those clothes," she smiled. Then she sighed and laughed. "I can't say I don't either."_

_I rolled my eyes. "Pam. No lesbian stuff right now, okay? You know you don't stand a chance with me." I winked at her._

"_Right, right. Whatever you say Rubes."_

"RUBY!"

When that vision in my mind stopped playing, I was suddenly aware of screaming. Sookie's screams, from the backseat of the car that I was sitting in. It had been like a film playing in my mind's eye, just as clear as if I had been watching a TV or something. It was like I was there, right beside Pam in that shop. That must be a memory!

The car was skidding, which was why Sookie was screaming so loudly. I had lost control the moment I had that vision of an old memory from seeing that shop. I grabbed the wheel, pressing on the brakes. The car slid, but stopped in the middle of the street. Thankfully it was pretty empty anyway. My breathing was heavy even though I don't even have a heartbeat, but it was the only way to focus.

A memory. The only memory I had. I could see what the old Ruby was like. She was confident, joked with Pam. Pam was sitting in the passenger's seat, looking alarmed for the first time. Her eyebrows furrowed when I looked at her.

"Ruby have you lost your mind?" Pam hissed.

"No, just my memories," I said, looking at her as if she were stupid.

Sookie gasped. "You've lost your memories?"

It was Pam's turn to gasp and rub the bridge of her nose. "Shit. Shit! Eric is going to kill me! She isn't supposed to know." Pam turned in her seat, attempting to Glamour Sookie so she would forget about our little slip up. Sookie crossed her arms defiantly.

"Nuh-uh, Pam, that doesn't work on me."

Pam snarled under her breath, turning he r anger back on me. "Why did you lose control of the car? You could've gotten that human hurt." Not that Pam cared. She'd just be in trouble with Eric if Sookie had been hurt. Even Sookie knew that.

That memory had been so vividly clear, it was like I had never lost it before. I took control of the car, turning it around. It had turned to the left when I had accidentally let go, and I had to reverse and straighten up again. Pam was still furious with me.

"I had a memory," I said quietly.

Pam's jaw dropped. "W-What?"

It must have really shocked her, because Pam never stutters. She's always certain of what she says. I sighed. I had really frightened Sookie by losing control in the middle of driving, with her heartbeat only slowing now. But I couldn't help feeling excited too. I had remembered something.

"Belle's Boutique. Remember it?" I asked curiously.

She nodded. "Yes, we shopped there once or twice."

"Well I just drove past it. When I saw it I remembered buying some yellow dress with you."

"The one that looked like something that should be burned and never shown to the public ever again?"

I smirked. "Yes Pam. And I thought that dress was nice."

"Can someone _please _tell me what's going on?" Sookie barked. "What memories? What dress?"

"Should we let Eric tell her?"

I shrugged. "Why not tell her now? She'll find out…eventually."

"I say we wait for Eric," Pam muttered.

"Fine by me."

"Now wait just a darn moment-…"

"Human. The vampires are talking," Pam smirked, glancing back at her in the rear-view mirror. Sookie huffed and crossed her arms, glaring out the window.

My first memory. Like a child, I couldn't wait to tell Eric.


	7. Discoveries

**A/N: **_Thanks for the reviews! :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter Six – Discoveries<strong>

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><p>"<em>A man who trusts nobody is apt to be the kind of man nobody trusts.<em>_"  
><em>**- ****Harold MacMillan.**

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><p>Bill opened the front door after two knocks, and the surprise on his face was evident. Sookie stood beside me, her heartbeat quickening whenever she looked at him. I believe that means a human is in love, or they're frightened. I'm leaning more towards love right now though, from how she hugged him and how he kissed her cheek gently. He welcomed me into his home.<p>

Vampires don't need invitations to get into each others houses, or so Pam told me. Pam herself was in the car, preferring not to mess up her new pink shoes on the gravel in Bill's drive. I think she just wanted to think over how she was going to explain our slip-up to Eric. We had told Sookie about my memory loss.

"May I speak with you for a moment?" Sookie asked Bill.

They both looked at me, as if asking for permission. I shrugged and nodded, preferring to glance around Bill's home. They walked up the stairs, leaving me in the hall. I had never been in another person's home before. I took the opportunity to compare it to our home. It felt nice, saying that. _Our _home. Apparently Eric had a fortune lying in a bank somewhere, and we lived a comfortable life. I didn't really care about money. Memories and my family – Pam and Eric - were more important. I hadn't realized that not everyone lived in a nice, expensive house simply because I had only seen the outside of them. Bill didn't have marble floors or modern furniture. It wasn't very surprising though. I should have guessed he was an old-fashioned guy, still living in the past somehow.

In the corner of the room, I noticed a white box. It had the word 'Wii' written in grey writing on the side. I cocked my head to the left, wondering what it was supposed to do. Bill had obviously used it already. Was it some kind of game? I forgot about it, looking at the paintings on his wall instead. No pictures of Dracula. Perhaps Bill doesn't know about him either. Wait, no, that can't be right, apparently he's a big joke in the vampire community. Bill has to know about him.

I was still excited to tell Eric about my memory. That Ruby had seemed so confident and had a good sense of humor with Pam. I hoped to have more memories, even if I lose control of whatever I'm doing while it's happening. They play like films in my head, very vivid and clear.

Before I could think more about it, Sookie and Bill came bounding down the stairs. She smiled at me, but he was frowning. Immediately I knew she had told him about my memory loss. Eric would not be happy about this. It was already difficult, keeping my secrets, but now we had two more people to worry about. Would Bill run to the Queen?

"Alright-y, let's get this show on the road!" Sookie grinned.

I most certainly hoped Sookie wouldn't betray us to the Queen, because she always said fun things like that.

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><p>Eric was at the door, ready to greet us as soon as we walked in. He put an arm around my shoulder, but he immediately became a little tense when he noticed Pam's reluctance to look him in the eye. He looked down at me, raising an eyebrow. Getting on my tippy-toes, I decided I would whisper and tell him about our slip-up, saving Pam from the job.<p>

Eric leant down as I told him that Sookie and Bill knew about my memory loss. His eyes darkened, momentarily gripping my shoulders too tightly before his brows furrowed. We had our backs to Bill and Sookie who sat in the bar area, so it surprised me how easily Eric changed his appearance and voice to a friendlier tone as he addressed them.

"Bill, Sookie, please excuse us for a moment."

"What is this about Eric?" Sookie demanded.

"Just one moment, Miss Stackhouse," Eric said dryly, before dragging Pam and I to his office. He slammed the door shut before facing Pam.

"Care to elaborate Pamela?"

Guiltily she looked up at him. "I'm sorry Eric-…"

I glanced between them. "Pam has nothing to be sorry about."

Eric barely took any notice. "Ruby is at her most vulnerable, Pam, if you haven't noticed. It's our job to protect her, and already Bill-fucking-Compton of all vampires knows. Do you forget that Bill isn't very fond of us? He might just rat us out to Queen Sophie-Anne."

"I'm so sorry Eric, it was an accident," Pam sniffled a little, preferring to look at the ground. I had never seen her like this, and it made me feel terrible. Sure, Eric was our Maker, but he didn't have to get so cross with her when it had all been a misunderstanding.

He ran his hands through his hair with a sigh.

"It was my fault Eric," I said.

"Not now Ruby, please. You don't understand how much danger this puts you in."

"I had a memory."

His eyes shot open, his hands falling to his side. Eric always looked quite adorable when he was shocked. His sapphire eyes went as wide as saucers, mouth falling open slightly. He was very rarely shocked, so I took pleasure in it. "You had…a memory?"

I nodded proudly. "Yes! It was like a vision, or a movie like the ones you showed me! Kind of like the human shows on the television, like I had never lost it before, like that ritual never happened-.."

"Ruby. You're babbling," Pam cut in, back to her snappy self.

"No, let her speak," Eric smiled. He looked incredibly happy. I hadn't missed the excitement and relief in his eyes when I told him I remembered something. I believe it gave him hope that he would have the old Ruby back sometime soon. "Tell me Ruby."

He took my hands in his, encouraging me.

"We were driving past Belle's Boutique," I told him, though he seemed to know of it without having to tell him where it was. "When I just…saw myself talking with Pam. It was like I had never forgotten it Eric. I lost control of the car though, so I must apologize to Sookie for that. It was my own fault, Pam was just asking if I was okay and I told her about the vision. I didn't mean for Sookie to find out, or Bill. You can't blame Pam."

He sighed. "I'm more worried about the Queen than I am about Sookie. Come on. We'll deal with more of this later." He hesitated, as if unsure of kissing me when he didn't know how I felt. It was strange to see the Almighty Eric hesitate, but he did it anyway. Trust Eric to be an over-confident guy at a time like this. The news of my first memory clearly put him in better spirits.

Tonight, we would use Sookie's telepathic skills to find out who stole my Maker's money. I must admit, I'm getting used to Ginger. I desperately hoped it wasn't her, because she was turning out to be a lovely woman, as long as she didn't scream. I'm ashamed to say I'm still terrified of loud noises, and we don't know why.

Longshadow had arrived when we came back out of the office, and he nodded to us, cleaning some glasses. He seemed relaxed, not very nervous.

When Ginger walked in, Sookie was quite sweet to her. Checking and picking at Ginger's brain, when she gasped suddenly. Longshadow had been standing behind the bar when she revealed that it had been _him_ all along. Wow, this was just like the human drama shows! He leapt over the bar intent on killing our telepathic waitress. Immediately Ginger's screaming began, and automatically I clamped my hands over my ears, trying to shut her out.

Why must she scream so loudly when she knows it terrifies me?

Eric has a theory that when I was having my memory erased during the ritual, some loud noise went off and that's why I'm so afraid of them. I felt a bit better when Eric put his arm around me, watching. For a human, the whole scene must've happened in a flash, but as vampires, we could see every movement.

I wanted to step forward and help my human friend, though I doubted Eric would've let me get very far. I was still terrified of Ginger's screaming. Bill did the honor, ripping a wooden stake from the bar and plunging it into Longshadow. I gasped as Longshadow just…exploded. All over Sookie, who sat gasping like a fish out of water.

Gross. _That's_ what happens when we're staked? Ew.

"Humans," Eric smirked. He couldn't help himself. "Honestly Bill…I don't know what you see in them."

Bill was in trouble now. Big trouble. Ginger fell to the ground, desperately trying to…well, I _think _she was trying to put Longshadow back together again. How she planned on doing that was a mystery, because he was just a big bloody blob on the floor. I am _not _cleaning that up. She had been Glamoured, which only meant that she would have to be Glamoured again to forget about all this. Poor Ginger could barely remember her last name.

While Pam got Sookie cleaned up, I followed Bill and Eric to the office. Eric lectured him on what a big deal this was. I watched, fascinated, because I didn't know an awful lot about vampire laws. All I knew was that killing another vampire – even for a human – now _that_, was considered a horrible crime.

"I am not the only one in trouble here Eric," Bill growled after ten minutes of Eric's grinning and teasing. Eric was not letting him off lightly.

"Whatever do you mean?" Eric smiled, playing along.

"You _know_ what I mean, Eric," Bill growled. "Ruby. You haven't told the Queen about her memory loss, have you?"

My eyes met with Eric. I panicked, but he kept a very calm expression. Thank God for that. He could probably feel my fear through our bond, because I didn't know what this Queen was like. Was she cruel? What would she do to me if she found out?

"No, we haven't, and she won't find out either," Eric said firmly. "Isn't that right Bill?"

Bill looked from me to Eric. "I will not tell the Queen."

I felt utter relief, but Eric was less trustful. He had always been protective, but knowing that Bill now knew all about my memory loss, he was more cautious. He watched Bill for a few moments curiously. "It looks like we're going to have to visit the Magister."

Eric didn't look so happy about it either. My last visit with the Magister resulted in being turned into a vampire, so I can't say I was looking forward to it. Though Bill was the one in trouble, who knows what could happen? Could we really trust him not to go to the Queen?


	8. I Don't Wanna Know

**A/N: **_Thank you for such wonderful reviews! :D Sorry it's so long! Hope it doesn't bore you :D I'm planning on having a funny chapter with Jessica leading Ruby astray. What do you think? Because personally I love the idea! I'll start writing it straight away, and hopefully if all goes well it will be up tomorrow! :) FF always stops working on me when I really want to post something, lol! I can't wait to write the next chapter with Jessica :D_

_Enjoy! x _

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><p><strong>Chapter Seven – I Don't Wanna Know<strong>**  
><strong>

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><p>"<em>If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.<em>_"  
><em>**- ****Albert Einstein**.

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><p>Before we left to go see the Magister, we had to stop at Fangtasia. Eric was preparing himself, and Bill sat at the bar where he killed Longshadow, nursing a TruBlood with a deep frown. I waited in the office for Pam to arrive, when the phone rang. I blinked. Should I answer it? I edged towards it, almost as if it were a bomb about to go off.<p>

Carefully I lifted the phone from the cradle, putting it to my ear.

"Hello?" a voice said.

I didn't recognize the warm tone. I considered hanging up. How silly was I? Being nervous of answering a phone? No one could crawl out of it and attack me. I needed to get rid of my fear and bad nerves. I straightened up and held the phone tighter.

"Hello!"

I smiled for good measure. The person couldn't see me, but it made me feel better. I wiped my dark brown eyes tiredly, even though we had hours left until dawn. Pam usually answered the phone in a seductive, false voice in case it was a tourist on the other end. She said things like 'This is Fangtasia, where life begins at night'. Always sexy and professional, that's what Pam had to be on the phone.

"Ruby?" the voice sounded surprised.

I was equally surprised. Phones interested me as much as things like television did, because when I first came to Fangtasia, I couldn't recall what they were for. They were just weird, foreign objects that had been wiped from my memory. I sat in Eric's leather chair, pushing my foot against the table to push myself around in circles.

"Yes, I am Ruby!" I smiled. "Who are you?"

The voice sounded even warmer once they knew who I was. "It is Godric. Do you remember me?"

I hummed as I thought. I knew _of_ Godric, but I didn't _know_ him. I had seen pictures. He was as pale as me, with snow white skin, and dark brown hair and grey eyes. He had tattoos, I had seen them in the photos. Eric said he was two thousand years old, and I had got on with him brilliantly when we first met. We bonded over history and humans. He was the only other vampire I knew – _had _known – that thought vampires and humans could co-exist. Or so Eric had told me. In the past few hundred years, Eric had told me that Godric was reconsidering the ways of vampires. He thought humans and vampires could get along.

I must have been silent for a long time, because Godric spoke again. "I will take this as a no." He chuckled even, probably trying to relax me. "Eric has told me of what has happened to you."

I nodded, staying silent.

He couldn't see me nod. I keep forgetting. "Yeah. I lost everything."

"He mentioned you like humans a lot. Is this true?"

Godric was being very kind. I held the phone tightly, as if it were a weapon. I'd never used a phone like this before, not that I could remember anyway. It was weird to think a 2000 year old vampire handled technology better than I could. Then again, Godric still retained all his memories. I bet he'd like to forget some though, because a vampire's existence is never easy. Trying not to nod, I murmured, "Yes. I like their TV shows. I've tried talking to humans, but they don't seem to like vampires very much."

I heard him sigh again, but it was happier than the last. I was finding it easy to talk to Godric. Maybe answering the phone wasn't such a bad thing. "Humans are afraid of vampires Ruby. Surely you can understand their fear? Is there something that scares you now that you don't remember anything?"

He was reasoning with me, being friendly.

"Loud noises," I said instantly. "I hate them. Ginger is a waitress at the bar, and she screams all the time."

I felt like scolding myself then, because I sounded so childish. Vampires shouldn't fear anything. Eric never jumped at loud noises. Pam didn't, either. They weren't afraid of anything. I was spinning in circles on the chair, happy that the phone didn't have any wires to get tangled in when the door swung open.

Pam strutted in, pausing when she saw me on the phone.

Godric chuckled on the other end of the phone. It was rare to hear him laugh, I could tell. He seemed sad somehow, so I was glad I made him laugh for even a second. "You have nothing to fear my Child. Not with Eric worrying all the time."

"Ruby what are you doing?" Pam asked, looking at the phone, and then back to me.

"I hear Pam has arrived," Godric said. He could hear Pam even over the phone? Well. We _did_ have great hearing. Goodbye then, Ruby. It has been nice talking to you. I am sure we will speak again." I wished I had more time to talk to him.

"Bye, bye Godric." Pam watched me as I hung up, and she seemed surprised.

She composed herself pretty quickly. "Come on. We need to stop at Merlotte's so Bill can say goodbye to Sookie."

I put the phone down, feeling better now that I had spoken to Godric.

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><p>The moment I met the Magister, I knew I didn't like him. Not only were we surrounded by unfamiliar, hostile vampires, he also had a cane. Canes like that are <em>never<em> good. I doubted that was to help him walk or anything, from the way he licked his lips and grinned at me. Out of habit, I stayed very close to Eric. He didn't mind at all though. I can't help that I'm afraid of these new vampires. Heck, I'm afraid of some humans too. I don't know anything about them. In Merlotte's, they all seemed so nice. Then they whispered words like 'bloodsucker'. It seemed that no matter where I went, humans didn't really like me because I was a vampire.

How can they judge what they don't understand?

"Looky here," the Magister smiled. "Ruby, isn't it? My sweet, I can recall the last time you were here."

Unfortunately, I couldn't.

That's both a good and bad thing. Good, because I don't _want_ to remember anything about this man. Bad, only because he might ask something that a normal vampire would know. Hopefully that doesn't happen. I watched Pam and Eric, trying to copy everything they did. I wished the Tribunal would just hurry up and end.

Bill was clearly distressed. He stood beside me, eyeing the large crowd of vampires behind us.

"What do you think of life as a vampire?" the Magister drawled.

_I have no idea, because I don't remember any of it, Mr Magister, sir._

Of course, I didn't say that. "It's just…dandy," I muttered. He gave me a sick grin before turning his attention to a vampire being dragged through the crowd, held by chains. I watched, amazed. Eric squeezed my hand, keeping his eyes on the vampire in question. Eric didn't want me to see anything like this. He knew that I didn't like the ways of vampires, and he wanted to show me that we weren't all bad.

This was clearly not the way to go about it. Having to watch a vampire being de-fanged hardly made me think we were the good guys. I watched with wide eyes as he was thrown to the ground, landing on his knees. I wondered how old he was. There was a female vampire dressed in leather, using pliers to rip out the man's fangs. I gasped, wanting to go to his side. Eric must've guessed my feelings, because he pulled me back and hissed in my ear.

"Ruby, please, stay still. Do not give the Magister any reason to suspect something is wrong with us."

He was right. But listening to that poor vampire scream was horrible. The female vampire in leather held his fangs up as if it were a prize, as if we should admire her for her wonderful deed. I immediately disliked her, wishing I could help that poor vampire. So far, nothing about vampires seemed very nice. No wonder humans hated us so much, we were so…evil.

The other vampires cheered. Could Bill have his fangs taken out?

I was afraid of the other vampires, and the one I feared the most was the Magister. I was out of my depth. He sat in a throne similar to Eric's, that was placed in the back of a pick-up truck. I felt cold, wishing I was at home watching old movies with Eric. But he stood tall beside me, the image of a fearless vampire. Usually Eric dominates everything, though I knew it was the Magister who controlled this place. No one stepped out of line around him.

Pam caught my eye, but she didn't smirk or anything. She knew I hated every second of this, totally unused to seeing people suffer like this.

"You fed on a human that wasn't yours. Three months of starvation should teach you manners. Brothers and sisters of the Tribunal, is this fair?" the Magister smirked at the vampire being punished. I wanted to shake my head, tell him that this wasn't right, but Eric gripped my hand as if he had guessed what I was doing. The vampires roared in approval, all looking at the Magister with bright smiles. Eric looked down at me, staring into my eyes.

"Ruby. Do not make me say it again."

"But Eric, that's just cruel-…"

"Do I have to command you?"

"It could save that vampire's life!" I took a step, but he yanked me back beside him.

"I don't like to force you to do anything Ruby. But I am deadly serious right now, I will command you to stay beside me. I refuse to let you be put in danger, especially with someone as mean and vicious as the Magister. Do you understand? Promise me you will stay where you are and say nothing."

I gasped in horror when they ripped out his other fang. "Y-Yeah. I promise."

"Sentence passed and executed. Moving on…"

"Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5."

"Yes, Magister," Eric said, letting go of my hand and stepping forward. I was baffled, and instantly missed him.

Without memories to let me know what was right and wrong, Eric was the only one who could tell me. I mean, of course I could ask Pam, but sometimes the bond between him and I meant he just knew when I felt worried or sad. How would you feel if you had no real morals, only instinct? And in the vampire world, those instincts led you to do bad things like drinking from another vampire's human. There were rules that stopped me, rules I didn't fully understand yet.

Bill took his place in front of the Magister, stepping on the blood from the last vampire. Gross. One of his fangs had just been thrown aside, as if it never happened. I saw Bill looking at the blood with distaste.

"We have a murderer, I see," the Magister smirked.

I wanted to say it was an accident, that he was trying to protect Sookie. But I promised Eric. Promises meant a lot to me. I watched my Maker explain what happened in his bar. As Sheriff, this was his duty.

"You have broken a serious law, Compton," the Magister growled, idly playing with his cane. "Killing another vampire is such a serious offense."

Howls and cheers from the other vampires showed they agreed completely. The Magister frowned at Bill, eyeing him up and down. Humans were treated as food and nothing else, that they were inferior and we as vampires should take advantage of them. That's what the vampires here thought of them, but I thought we could try to co-exist. If TruBlood existed, why harm humans?

"You decreased our numbers at a critical time. That's bad. Very, very bad."

Bill tried to reason with him, but it was no use. They brought out a human girl. Eric seemed to know what this meant. I didn't understand what was going on. Were they not taking his fangs like the last vampire? Would they wrap him in silver and leave him to burn in a coffin for as long as it takes?

They threw the girl to the ground. The Magister looked pleased, and then he glanced at me. It meant nothing, such a quick and meaningless look before he focused on Bill again, but it did something to me.

_Eric was holding me down, forcing me to look away from the Magister, making me look at him instead. I didn't want to look at Eric. I didn't want to be turned into a vampire, or lose my humanity. _

_The vampires were all around us, hollering and roaring in approval. Eric didn't let me look away from his eyes even though the Magister was speaking. I could barely hear him in my daze, but I knew he was telling Eric to turn me. Eric himself looked torn. If he went against the Magister, he'd surely die for it._

_I loved Eric. I thought he loved me too, yet here he was about to bite me and ruin my human life. Though I knew I shouldn't blame him, when he was being forced into it too. I just needed something to take my anger out. I screamed and kicked at Eric, drawing blood on his biceps as I scratched at him and tried to get away from him. Mud covered my clothes and face, getting stuck in my hair and making it harder to see. The sky was an inky, pitch black, and I could see the stars and the moon._

"_I'm sorry Ruby. I am so sorry, but I will make everything right. Please forgive me, you know I love you, this wasn't supposed to happen. Not like this."_

_A thousand year old vampire versus a twenty-eight year old human? No contest, but I don't give up without a fight. I had a potty mouth apparently, because I screamed curses at him, told him I hated him when I didn't. His fangs came out, his eyes dark and full of sadness. His fangs glinted in the moonlight. My heart was thumping, but that wouldn't last for long._

_As soon as Eric's fangs plunged into my neck, that was it. _

I was jolted back to reality. They had a red-headed human, very pretty, kneeling in the mud. Her heart was thumping just like mine had, I could hear it from here. My second memory wasn't as nice as my first. It was like I could feel the burning in my neck. Absentmindedly, I raised my hand to rub my neck. Eric was looking at me. Could he feel that tingling in my neck through the bond?

Another memory that had felt so real. I tried to focus on Bill's punishment instead of that horrible memory. The human girl was begging for her life, crying and snivelling.. Her eyes met with mine, pleading with me. My stomach twisted. Perhaps, if Bill kept her as his progeny, we could be friends. I could help her.

Being a vampire really sucked. This girl would go through the same thing that I had.


	9. Bad Influences

**A/N: **_Thanks for all the reviews and everything! I love you for them! Haha :) Sorry for any spelling mistakes or anything… ;)_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eight – Bad Influences<strong>

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><p>"<em>A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.<em>"  
><strong>- <strong>**Charles Spurgeon. **

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><p>My own curiosity led me to quiz Jessica on every aspect of her life. We were at Eric's home, sitting on the sofa. I had my legs crossed, whereas she sprawled out with a smirk on her face. I held a mug of TruBlood in my hands, absorbed in her life story. I know I was supposed to pretend to know everything about being a vampire already, but I couldn't help myself. I thought Jessica was a very smart, beautiful girl.<p>

She had red hair, pale skin and some pretty blue eyes. She had a different sense of style though. She didn't wear dresses like the innocent one at the Tribunal. She wore a red pleated skirt and black top with large black army-style boots. Leather bracelets and spiky collars, that was her style. Her eyes were outlined with dark kohl eyeliner too.

"What is church like?"

I found the idea of people believing in a God fascinating, a man above the clouds who looked down upon us. We couldn't see him though, that was the only thing that really perplexed me. Then again, I hadn't learned anything about religion other than that, so…I wasn't exactly an expert on it. Jessica, however, had gone to church for her whole life.

I was surprised when she scrunched her face up, looking irritated. "It's boring as Hell." Then she giggled. "Get it, _Hell_?"

Although I didn't really, I laughed anyway. Hell was a place where you burned for your sins. It frightened me. As a vampire, I didn't know if I should be worried or not. Jessica sighed.

"It wasn't all bad thought. Sometimes we got to sing, o-or we had these events and parties to go to. Daddy didn't like me mingling with the boys though, so I usually just had to sit with Eden and my momma."

"Eden?" I repeated, taking a sip of the TruBlood. It tasted revolting. "Who is Eden?"

"My sister. Do you have any siblings?"

"No," I said sadly. That sounded magical, sharing your blood with someone else. "If I had a sister or brother, my own flesh and blood like that, I'd protect them and love them with everything I got though. That's how I feel about Eric and Pam. They're my family. I mean, they're not blood like you have with your sister, but that don't matter much to me."

Jessica's eyes looked glazed over, with a thin red line forming beneath them. She was distant now. Perhaps she didn't like talking about Eden. I knew she was trying to hold back the bloody tears vampires had. "I wish I had been nicer to her."

"You weren't a nice sister?" Something in that sentence made her just burst into bloody tears. At vampire speed, I ran up the stairs and brought her tissues before her tears even rolled down her cheeks. She thanked me, patting at her eyes.

"Well, I wasn't cruel or nothing, but I was mean to her sometimes. I said some bad things when I was angry."

"I'm sure she'll forgive you Jess."

She wiped away a tear as she laughed and sniffled at the same time. I hoped that cheered her up a little. Jessica excused herself, going to the bathroom to wash away her bloody tears. I stayed by myself, watching the human TV shows for a while.

"Here we see the alligator approaching its prey, which is totally unaware of the danger its in…"

The camera zoomed in on the alligator. I was getting bored quickly. I preferred to watch the drama shows rather than these documentaries. I shut my eyes, sighing. Eric and Pam had gone out. They lied to Jess. Well, they said they had 'business' to attend to, though I knew they were just searching for the people who had made me lose my memories. Jessica just couldn't know about it yet. We were babysitting her for Bill. Helping him out, really.

I believe Eric agreed to take her on because it meant he had something over Bill. Emotional kind of blackmail, isn't that what it's called? Bill did like Jessica. Eric could do some damage and harm her if Bill ever went against us. Eric always thought one step ahead, or so it seemed. However Jessica and Bill didn't seem to be getting along.

I opened my eyes when I heard the sound of keys jingling. Jessica stood at the doorway, an arch that led into the living room. She held Eric's spare car keys in her hand. He kept them in his office on a hanger. Jessica put a hand on her hip, smirking at me.

"Feel like going out to celebrate?"

"Celebrate?" I repeated. "Celebrating what?"

"My new life as a vampire!" she grinned. She seemed to totally ignore the fact that she had been crying just a few minutes ago about the loss of her old life and family.

I was doubtful. Jessica's smile didn't falter once though as she crossed the room to meet me. She took my hand, pulling me to my feet. Eric hadn't said anything about going out, or celebrating her new life. As if sensing my doubt, Jessica gave me a large grin.

"Eric didn't tell you?"

It wasn't like Eric not to tell me what I was doing. My nights were always planned out for me, or at least it would be until I got my memories back. _If_ I got them back, I mean. Jessica threw a grey jumper at me as we went to the door. I put it on over my white dress, because even vampires could feel the cold sometimes. Jessica didn't wear a jacket, I noticed. I threw on some shoes as she began to tell me all about our plans for the night.

"He must have forgotten to mention it Ruby," she laughed, opening the car door. Eric and Pam left in her car, leaving Eric's Corvette here. I was a little unsure. Eric always, always told me what I was supposed to do. He said I would stay here with Jess, and that he'd call me at around 3am. It was only 2am now. I trusted Jess though. She wouldn't lie to me.

"Are you sure?" I asked. Eric's car smelled just like him, and it was reassuring to say the least. It was like he was here with me. I tugged on the sleeves of my jumper. It was chilly out tonight. Jessica rolled her eyes at me and turned on the radio to some heavy metal station.

"Yes, Ruby, relax a little. We head to the club, and then Eric and Pam will meet us there later. Perhaps I'll get to bite a human tonight!"

We pulled up at a club I didn't recognize. Then again, I rarely knew any of the places I went to. I secretly hoped Jess would have wanted to go to a place like Merlotte's. I didn't think she would lie to me about Eric. No one had ever brought me anywhere without his permission. I figured Jess was telling the truth, and we really were here for a celebration of her turning. The smell of human sweat and lust was overwhelming. It was pulsating, all dancing and gyrating together on a dancer-floor that flashed with different colors.

Within minutes, I had lost Jess. This didn't feel like a party, not like the ones I had seen on the television. Oh, how lame am I, comparing this to a party on the television. Then again I had no other kind of experience to compare it with. I felt out of my own depth, lost in a sea of humans. I knew no one here, since Jess had vanished from my sight. There was no way I could find her using her scent, either.

One man was very, very handsome. He appeared seemingly out of nowhere. He wore black slacks, and a blue shirt with the top three buttons left open to reveal a smooth chest. He was tanned, with slicked back black hair. He was smiling at me, revealing pearly white teeth.

"Hi there," he smiled.

A human! I could make friends with a human. Easy peasy, vampire squeasy. "Hello!"

He seemed impressed with my enthusiasm, moving closer. I took this as a good sign. He wasn't afraid of me. He wasn't calling me a 'bloodsucker' or anything, not like the other humans at Merlotte's did. When he turned to grab his drink at the bar, he revealed his neck by accident. He was covered in vampire bites. Poor guy must've been attacked or something. Though Pam had mentioned 'fangbangers', and that I should be weary of them.

But this guy seemed very nice, not like the people she had spoken of.

"I'm Alex," he said, grinning. "What's your name beautiful?"

That was sweet of him. Eric might be happy to know I made a human friend. Jess said he would meet us here, so I just had to wait. "I'm Ruby."

"Pretty name. I haven't seen you here before, Ruby."

"I'm here with my friend Jessica," I smiled, looking around for her. She was still nowhere in sight. "But she's gone…"

"Well, maybe you and I can go have some fun of our own," Alex shrugged. "Do you wanna…you know?"

I blinked at him, not understanding. "Do I want to what?"

He looked at me as if I were stupid. He pulled on his shirt collar, showing the marks on his neck again. "Bite me Ruby? In the bathrooms? Haven't you ever done this before?"

Pam said that I had bitten humans before, but I didn't want to dwell on that. I had made the resolution to never harm a human. Alex seemed to be totally unafraid of me, or my fangs or anything I could possibly do to hurt him. I didn't want to answer him. In fact, I wanted to go home and forget this ever happened. Perhaps Jess could just celebrate by herself. Pam and Eric would join her soon, like she said. Alex was looking at me expectantly.

"I-I'm sorry Alex-…" I began, taking a step back.

I bumped into a solid, rock-hared chest. It felt like a wall, and I turned to apologize to the person. To my surprise, I found myself staring into Eric's icy blue eyes. He looked absolutely furious, and it scared me. I took a step away from him, with Alex sounding like the better person to be close to. However, Eric stopped me, clamping a hand around my wrist to stop me.

"Human, leave, immediately," he growled at Alex, not taking his eyes off me. I heard Alex leave. If I were human, my heart would be thumping a mile a minute. Why was Eric so angry? He was holding my wrist painfully tight, seemingly furious with me.

"Ruby, what the Hell do you think you're doing in a place like this?" he asked, his voice low and dark. Exactly like his expression. I tried to think about why he would be angry. Jess…she said he would meet up with us. Is he jealous that I was talking to Alex? Oh! That must be it, I'd seen that on the human shows too. Thank God I watched those shows.

"What are you talking about Eric? We're celebrating," I smiled, wishing he'd stop looming over me. It was starting to scare me. Freakishly tall handsome Viking looking fit to kill…not exactly what I had planned for the night.

His anger faltered, his expression relaxing as he raised his eyebrows. He looked adorable, even if he was still angry. He was looking more confused now, the same expression I usually wore. "Celebrating? What are you celebrating?"

He put a hand on my back, as if shielding me from the humans around us. His eyes darted around the place. Like he thought we were being watched or followed.

"Jess told you, silly," I laughed. "Her turning into a vampire? She said she told you, and that you'd meet us at the bar later. Did you forget?"

It seemed Eric was being forgetful now.

"Ruby," he groaned, before he sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "Are you _stupid_? How could you believe her?"

That stung. He was mad at me. Eric never raised his voice before. He was the kind of guy that never needed to raise his voice to get attention, he demanded it anyway. A bloody tear ran down my cheek. I couldn't help myself. I was starting to realize Jess had lied to me, and I _was_ stupid. I had believed her totally, even though Eric and Pam had warned me not to listen to others and go along with things so willingly. I felt like a fool.

Eric hugged me, kissing the top of my head and sighing again. "I'm sorry Ruby. You aren't stupid, I didn't mean to upset you."

I looked up at him. I had gotten blood on his black and grey shirt, but his leather jacket covered it well. Woopsie daisy, I hadn't meant to do that. "I-I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to apologize for. It's that damn Bill Compton's progeny that has to apologize. Look Ruby, I didn't mean to make you cry," he said, sounding uncomfortable. Eric didn't deal with crying women very well, that much was obvious. "It's just…I called the house phone in my office, and when you didn't answer, I panicked. I thought…I just thought someone had taken you from me again."

"I wasn't going to bite him. The human, Alex, I mean," I sniffled. My voice sounded hoarse, just like Jess's when she'd cried over her sister, Eden. Dang it, I hated crying bloody tears, because they were hard to wipe away, not like a humans. Theirs were transparent. I sighed.

"I know. Listen Ruby, we're leaving. Pam went to find Jessica. We're going to drop Pam's car off at our house, and then bring Jessica to Bill's."

"We're bringing her back?"

"We've had her for such a short time, and she's already led you astray. What if anything had gone wrong Ruby? If you'd been recognized, or attacked?" he asked, frowning. "We don't know who these people are, but we know they're strong. They could've killed you! I don't want you anywhere near Jessica ever again. Do you understand?"

He was right. I nodded, letting him take my hand and lead me to his car outside. When Pam appeared, I admired her power blue suit and brown handbag. She didn't look amused as she dragged Jessica along behind her. Jessica was scowling, and she didn't meet my eyes.

"I'll take Ruby in my car, you take _her _in yours," Eric instructed. Pam didn't argue with him, not in his mood.

Looks like Bill was going to have a surprise visit tonight. Perhaps he could show me the 'Wii', and how to play it. Or, we could drop off his progeny and never look back. Either was fine with me right now. This was the first time I'd been lied to, and it hurt. It burned at me, a humiliating feeling. I had upset and worried Eric for no real reason. I would learn not to trust people so readily again.

"I'm sorry Eric," I said for the umpteenth time.

He rolled his eyes, but he smirked a little and glanced at me. "I don't blame you Ruby. I'm just not used to worrying about a person. Pam says I'm a pain in the ass when I do."

"Trust Pam to be so blunt about it."


	10. Behold the Sun, Eye The Moon

**A/N: **_Thanks for all the reviews, favourites and alerts :) Enjoy one of Ruby's biggest, most important memories :);) :D_

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><p><strong>Chapter Nine – <strong>**Behold the Sun, Eye The Moon**

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><p>"<em>An overflow of good converts to bad.<em>_"_  
><strong>- <strong>**William Shakespeare.**

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><p>It was like a warning in my bones, telling me to find somewhere dark for the night. Away from the sunlight. All vampires have that feeling in them, where you just <em>know<em> it's coming. You could be locked up in a basement with no way of knowing what time it is, and you'll know when the sun rises. The Bleeds begin, for starters.

_The sun's coming Ruby. Time to go to sleep._

Fangtasia had closed just over twenty minutes ago. I was outside, preparing to lock the door myself. Ginger normally did it, but she had left early. It was no big deal. I had locked up before. After that, I might just sleep here at Fangtasia if that's what Eric wanted.

I hadn't spoken to Jessica since the night she lied to me. That was well over a week ago. We were making progress with Rick and Lou. They wanted out of that basement. They admitted the ritual had been held in a forest, but they were still being vague about it. A 'forest' didn't exactly narrow it down.

Suddenly I heard rustling behind me. Across the parking lot, there was a wall with bushes behind it. Someone was in them. As a vampire, I could just about hear the heartbeat. Had I been human, I never would've known. The person was stepping on a twig. I appeared in front of the wall at vampire speed, curious once again.

She had brown hair with red tips at the end, and bright blue eyes.

I _knew _her. I knew her somehow. She wasn't alone, I knew that. There was the faint smell of dog, before I heard a voice. Telling her to run for it, and don't look back. But neither of us moved. We were both transfixed. Was she a witch? I couldn't tell from her scent. I leaned forward to get a better scent, instantly regretting it.

Whatever happened, I felt searing white-hot pain in my head. I clutched my head, screaming and falling backwards. I staggered too, barely able to focus. The woman was running with her dog friend, gone from my sight, but I didn't even care anymore. I fell to my knees, still screaming. I was tearing at my hair, begging for this pain to stop.

It felt as if I had been mummified in silver.

My skin started burning, which was the only sign that the sun was coming up and I was still outside. Eric would feel my pain I hoped. He had been sitting in his throne last time I checked with Pam sitting on the barstool. Who was that woman? Bloody tears ran down my cheeks.

I _knew_ her. I blacked out for what felt like hours.

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><p>"<em>Lord, we take this vampire as a sacrifice. Please forgive us for what we are about to do, but trust in us that we will save humanity<em>_ by ending their existence."_

_People were cheering. My eyes opened, and I found myself lying on a table. Silver bound me to it. I must have been here for a while because it had burned close to the bone. When I rolled my head to the right, I was shocked. Humans, at least twenty of them were clapping and cheering, singing along to hymns. There were chairs for them to sit on, but all of them were standing._

_One woman stepped forward, and it was__** her**__. The brown haired, blue eyed lady I had seen. She was smiling, holding a knife. I only had some shorts on I realized, as she cut my ribs and smeared my blood on her cheeks. Where the Hell was I?_

_Woods. Trees. The moon, glowing down upon me as I burned. One dark-skinned lady patted the brown haired woman on the shoulder, motioning for her to move aside. "You did good, Karen."_

_I was quickly trying to understand what was happening. I had the Bleeds__, even though it was night time. Had I slept at all? They must have hid me somewhere, otherwise I would've burned in the sun. This dark-skinned lady looked down at me with a bright smile. If we had been in any other situation, I would've thought she was pretty._

"_My name is Lucy, and I am going to deliver you from your sins."_

"_Lucy is gonna __**save**__ her!" the man on my left screamed. He was standing beside my table, and as far as I could tell he was the Preacher running this show. Lucy laughed as if it were an honourable thing, being my 'saviour'. She put some more silver on my stomach, and I promise you I thought my lungs would burst if I screamed any louder._

_I drifted into darkness for a moment, and when I woke up two men held Lucy at either side. She was shaking, chanting a mantra I didn't understand. It wasn't in my language. My chest rose and fell as I struggled to comprehend things again. How long had I been out?_

"_We gonna get rid-a that vampire soon, ain't we Luce?" the Preacher man smiled._

_He had wild unruly black hair and dark brown eyes, tanned skin and he wore a blue shirt. From the corner of my eye, I noticed two men I recognized. Rick and Lou, looking ready to wet their pants. They had never seen anything like this. They were shaking, obviously having withdrawals from V. Lucy suddenly stopped and her eyes were completely white. No irises or pupils, nothing human about it. If she was a witch, she was the most powerful I had seen._

"_Time to celebrate, dear Ruby," she snarled._

_She pushed the silver deeper into my skin, causing me to scream out again._

"_It doesn't matter," she sighed. "Your creator will not know where to find you, not with all this…" - she breathed in deeply as if she were about to laugh – "magic! He can try though, can't he?"_

_I wanted Eric. I couldn't deal with this pain. My skin was being burned off, and they were doing nothing to help. My fangs were out, tearing my lower lip a little when I accidently bit down to stop screaming. I could only see flashes of the humans behind Lucy and the Preacher man, their eyes wide. They were scared, amazed, fascinated. _

"_Don't you feel it child?" she asked. _

_I focused on staring at the moon. It was relaxing me. They seemed to treat this as a party. My heart almost leapt out of my chest when fireworks exploded. At least, that's what I think they were. All I could see were bright flashing lights and loud noises._

_They didn't stop. They just got louder and louder until I thought my ears would burst from the sound. Then there was the chanting, over and over. They said my name. They didn't call me 'Ruby Mathers', they called me 'Ruby Northman'. __I couldn't control my fear. I had never felt so much pain at one time._

_Whatever was happening to me was attacking all my senses at once. I could taste the blood in my mouth, feel the silver burning me, hear and see the fireworks exploding. Most of all I could smell my own burning flesh. Why was this happening to me? It felt like this would never end. _

_Eric's smiling face flashed through my mind as I began hearing Lucy chanting. This hurt. It hurt so bad, and I wanted to cry like a child for all eternity. No matter how hard I tried not to move, the silver still hurt like Hell. It seemed to be everywhere on my body. Lucy had some sort of bowl with ash in it, and she drew patterns on me. I couldn't see what she was drawing on my forehead, but I was thankful it wasn't burning me like the silver._

_With witches, I had a limited amount of knowledge. I didn't know anything about them._

_When she finished drawing on me, she started chanting again, and then the fireworks came back. Could the other humans see and hear them? Were they as deafening to them as it was to me?_

"_Please…Lucy __**stop**__!" I screeched, arching my back as one seemed to pop right beside me. I couldn't handle this. I needed Eric. It felt weak to think it, resorting to begging my Maker for help, but what do you expect? This was just plain torture._

"_This ritual will help you Ruby, it'll cleanse ya! Hallelujah! Your heart, your soul – if you even have one – and your body! You should be thanking me, sweetheart," Lucy cooed, rubbing my cheek like a loving parent. The fireworks were fading. Everything was fading. I could barely hear their voices anymore. I wanted to sleep. I feared that the fireworks would return._

_I shut my eyes, and in the distance Lucy's voice echoed around me._

"_We are just getting started my friends. Soon, you will understand why we must rid ourselves of these vampires. They are leeches, parasites. It's either us, or them. Survival of the fittest. And let me tell you, I will not go down without a fight."_

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><p>"RUBY!"<p>

_It'll cleanse ya__._

"Ruby, please, please answer me!"

_Hallelujah! Your soul – if you even have one. _

"Pam, get as much TruBlood as you can, she almost burned!"

"But Eric, your skin, you're burning too-…"

"Pamela, get the TruBlood now! I command you to do this!"

_I will not go down without a fight._

Luc's voice was ringing in my ears when I opened my eyes. My brain felt like cotton, all dizzy and light-headed. Slowly I came to realize I was on the bar floor in Fangtasia, with Eric propping me up behind him. He was about to tear open his wrist when I stopped him tiredly. Fireworks. I had heard fireworks.

But were they fireworks? They were the only thing I could compare them to. I had never heard sounds like them, just popping and banging everywhere. The ritual was the single most painful thing I had ever felt. Nothing compared to that.

_We are just getting started my friends_

"Ruby, please answer me," Eric's voice pleaded.

It sounded stupid, but I hadn't even realized he was speaking to me. I put a hand to my forehead, checking as if the ash would still be there. That was what she put on me, wasn't it? Oh, my head hurt from all this. That memory felt as if it had lasted for hours, though I knew it had been seconds. Eric wouldn't have let me burn out there. I lost control again.

Then I realized he had burned himself going into the sun to get me. That was…touching. It was dawn. It was rare for a vampire to go to bed this late, even one as old as Eric, but I hadn't thought anything of it before. I just assumed I would make it in on time after locking the door, like I had nights before. It was almost my job to just shut the bar door and go to bed, like always. I had a routine built up, but this just ruined it.

Lucy and Karen. The two names that were burned into my mind. Shakily, I got to my feet. Eric was surprised. He was healing already, we both were. Pam was in the room, but I didn't focus on her. I shoved the TruBlood she was offering away from me, wanting to get to the basement as quickly as possible in case I suddenly forgot those names. Eric followed me like my shadow, right behind me, steadying me.

"_My name is Lucy, and I am going to deliver you from your sins."_

Dang, her voice was still in my mind. I was physically shaking as I gripped the railings on the stairs leading down to the basement. Eric steadied me, and I could feel his worry, his confusion. It was a rare sight to see the Viking vampire himself not knowing what to do.

"Ruby, what are you doing? You almost burned!" Pam hissed from the top of the stairs, before she followed us down in her normal brisk manner.

Rick looked up to me, but Lou was barely able to roll his eyes to meet mine. He managed it after three minutes.

"Where is she?" I growled. My mind spun. I wanted to lie down. I knew I was getting the Bleeds, too.

"W-What…" Rick began, knowing Lou was probably too out of it to even notice my presence.

"Lucy…Karen," I said, feeling sick just saying their names. "_Especially_ Lucy."

"Lucy?" Pam repeated.

"Shit," Lou cursed softly. I hadn't even known he was listening, because he didn't look like he could even move a muscle. "She…knows Rick…"

"Yeah, I can see that," Rick muttered curtly, scowling.

"Are you gonna tell her, or do I have to make you?" Eric growled, baring his fangs. He was crouching just a little beside me, out of habit. For once, I didn't feel like the helpless, clueless little amnesiac. _I_ knew something that Pam and Eric didn't, and it was in my own memories.

Memories were so…amazing. Like little films in my head I never wanted to lose again.

"Alright…Lucy is a witch… the ritual happened out by Hummingbird road."

I don't know where that is, but Eric filled me in. "Near Sookie Stackhouse's home?" he growled. "Continue."

Rick glanced at Lou. "If I do, do we get out of here?"

"Well we'll see how good the info is, won't we sweet-pea," Pam smirked, smug that we were finally getting some real information. We had a location. Sookie might know the woods pretty well. In my mind, I could vividly remember the moon the most. I had focused on it throughout everything.

"We don't know where Lucy lives. We just wanted the V, man, and if we brought Ruby to her, that's what we'd get. We were told where you lived. We waited near the house with our friends Alex and Jack, and they knocked on the door. When Ruby opened it, they took her by surprise with some silver when her back was turned. But she killed them just as Lou and I got inside the house. She would-a killed us too, but she was distracted and that's when we threw a silver net over her. She wasn't strong enough to handle that. Then Rob turned up."

"Rob?" Pam asked.

"Werewolf. You think two humans could handle Ruby if she had broken free or somethin'?" Rick sighed bitterly. "Rob is strong, but he was on V that night, so he was twice as strong. Ruby didn't stand a chance."

Eric let out a low growl, his eyes narrowing at the mere thought of it.

"We were told to bring her out to the woods man. That's all we had to do, I swear."

"You were at the ritual," I said quietly.

"Yeah, it was some scary-ass shit," Rick sobbed suddenly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "You were screaming and there was blood everywhere-…"

I felt that pain running through Eric's bon when he heard Rick say that. He straightened up, his eyes glazed. It clearly pained him to imagine his progeny like that. I hated the fact that Eric blamed himself. He couldn't have stopped it. Sometimes things are just meant to happen, like Fate. I was losing the confident Ruby who had walked down those stairs minutes ago. I was starting to wish I never had that memory. It would haunt me now. I wished I could forget it. Funny that, since we spent so long trying to retrieve it.

"W-What about the fireworks?" I whispered, tears rolling down my cheeks too. My throat hurt, it felt dry and I sounded hoarse, my voice cracking a little.

Rick looked up at me with confusion. "Fireworks? What are you talkin' about kid?"

Pam and Eric looked at me. My brows furrowed. How could Rick not hear the fireworks?

"The bangs! T-The noise," I babbled, rushing over to him. I landed on my knees in front of him, gripping his shirt in my hands. His eyes went wide from fear. He was _afraid_ of me. I loosened my grip. I still couldn't find it in me to harm humans. I searched his eyes. "You…You didn't hear them…"

"I have no idea what you're talking about…" he said, almost in a pleading tone. "There weren't any fireworks, I swear…just chanting and hymns and stuff…"

I felt dejected. I was going crazy from frustration.

"Ruby, come on. I'll bring you home…" Eric trailed off, outstretching a hand to me. I could sense his every movement behind me. I didn't want to give up yet, not when I was so close. There _had_ been fireworks, I was sure of it. And people. There were lots, almost twenty. Eric led me gently from the basement, obviously itching to know what I had seen.

That memory had raised more questions than it could answer.


	11. In The Blood

**A/N: **_Thank for you for the lovely response to the last chapter :)_

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><p><strong>Chapter<strong>** Ten – In The Blood**

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><p>"<em>Power doesn't die, it's passed on<em>_… They were mostly heroes. But see how the leverage is disrupted. The web of history traps the good, and the evil takes what is not theirs!"_

**- Subject Sixteen.**

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><p>The following night, Eric warned me about thunder and lightning. He knew I would hate the loud noise it would make. Even though I expected it, I must admit I was trembling beneath the bed covers. He sighed beside me, taking my hand in his. He was always careful with what he said and did around me, because he knew I felt like a stranger. I was living another person's life, this Ruby Mathers, a vampire with a Viking boyfriend. It must hurt Eric deep inside to know that I can't remember a single thing about our relationship.<p>

Eric could also be surprisingly sweet, kind, protective and gentle. As Sheriff, he had to always be strong and emotionless in front of everyone else. Beneath it all, he just wanted to keep his family safe. I was curious about both our lives, so I snuggled closer to him, wincing as thunder struck.

It reminded me so much of the fireworks I heard on the night of the ritual. Eric's scent distracted me however. It was hard to describe. Sweet, and fierce at the same time. A scent that humans never really understand, because they had weaker senses. When I looked at Eric, I could see every beautiful detail on his face. His eyes sparkled all the time.

"What was it like, being a Viking?"

He smiled at me, running his fingers up and down the length of my arm, staying quiet while he thought about it. "My parents wanted me to settle down. But I was more interested in 'dating' random women than anything else. When my parents were killed, I vowed revenge. When I was injured, Godric changed me."

Eric steered clear of details about his family, and I didn't pressure him either. He found it hard to talk about the night they died, I could tell. Another flash of lightning lit up the room. It was almost dawn, and I was glad we chose to stay at home instead of go to Fangtasia. His eyes looked distant. They always did when he had to talk about his old family. Like he blamed himself for not being there.

"Then Godric saved you," I smiled brightly.

He smiled right back. "Yes, he saved me. We wandered the Earth together for centuries."

Once again, he went silent. Thinking of memories and better times when he didn't have to worry about witches taking his progeny's memories. I wondered what my human life was like. Did I live by myself? Did I have family myself? I jumped when the lightning struck and Eric chuckled, rolling his eyes. I did it even when I _knew_ it was going to happen.

"Do I have family?"

Eric frowned.

"My human life, I mean," I whispered softly, nervously anticipating the next flash of lightning and the boom of thunder. The weather could be so chaotic and noisy. I liked the hiss of the wind though, how the rain rattled against the windows. It made things feel even safer in Eric's home. _Our _home. It felt more like our home.

"You hung out with vampires. Your family didn't approve of me. They…disowned you for it when things got too much. When the Magister got involved in our lives while you were human, I sometimes wondered if they were right," he murmured, gently pushing some hair from my face. "Then you were turned, and you were so happy. It surprised me. I thought you would be angry with me, but you were just happy to spend the rest of your life with me Rubes, and I with you."

"I still want to stay with you," I said. This time, when the thunder struck, I didn't jump.

"Good," he smirked. "'Cause I don't think I could let go of you that easily."

"We vampires are such possessive creatures, aren't we?"

"It's in our nature," he shrugged. "There are good sides to it though. By saying we 'own' a human, it can protect them."

"Why does Sookie hate it when Bill wants to protect her then?"

"Sookie wants to be independent. Just like you did. You were the same Ruby, you refused to let me say I owned you."

I could understand that humans didn't want to be owned like possessions, but if it saved their lives, then maybe it was worth it. Another vampire wouldn't be allowed to bite them – which of course, didn't mean there weren't bad vampires who tired anyway.

"You're a stubborn kind of woman," Eric continued. "You don't back down easily, always willing to fight for something you love or believe in."

I chewed my lip, rolling over to lie on my back and stare at the ceiling. Stubborn, loyal, kind. Typical words Pam and Eric used to describe me. I'm always pleased when the humans at Fangtasia tell me I'm beautiful, but normally they just end up asking me to bite them. They just want to forget about they're scheduled, waiting-for-Friday lifestyle they all lead, waiting 'til they can come to our bar and just lose themselves for a few hours.

That's the appeal for humans. Vampires aren't supposed to exist, and when we exposed ourselves, it opened a whole new world to them. Eric kept tracing patterns on my arm while thinking things over himself.

Quietly I said, "Can we let Rick and Lou go?"

When he didn't respond, I looked over at him. He was staring right into my eyes. I bet he wished he could Glamour _me_ to forget they ever existed, so he could just rip them limb from limb himself. That wouldn't happen though. I didn't see the need to kill humans. Just like Godric. Speaking of Godric, we had phoned him earlier to see if he knew anything about rituals. If anything should know about the supernatural, it should be a two thousand year old vampire.

Unfortunately he found it slightly confusing. For an experienced witch – which we're guessing Lucy is – to go for a baby vamp…that's unusual. Especially if they planned on draining me before they killed me. They normally would have gone for a vampire like Eric, whose blood is much better. His was absolutely ancient, any V-addict would give their left arm for it.

"Eric, we've Glamoured them. We've found out everything they know. What is the point of keeping them there?"

I knew his real reason. He wished I would just give in and let him rip them to shreds. He had a lot of pent up anger for this witch, and he would take any excuse to hurt someone who was involved in the rituals. He could be so aggressive. I sighed, instantly turning back to him when the thunder struck. Damn, why on Earth was I still afraid of loud noises? I knew I had heard fireworks during the ritual – even if Rick claims there were none – but I thought once I knew what frightened me, I could overcome it. Looks like that wasn't happening.

"Fine. We will release them tomorrow night," Eric muttered gruffly. I grinned, kissing his cheek while he was distracted. He was clearly rethinking things, wondering if he should let them go.

"Thank you Eric."

He smirked. "You should feel privileged. I'm not normally a nice guy."

I snorted, rolling my eyes. "Don't give me that Eric. You only put that stuff on for show. No vampires in our area would take you seriously if you were all fluffy clouds and happy bunnies."

"Fluffy clouds and happy bunnies?"

"Shut up, it was the best thing I could think of."

I felt much better when the thunder and lightning stopped, falling asleep almost instantly once the dawn had come.

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><p>When the sun set, I was surprised to see it was still raining outside. It must have rained all day long. It felt like we were in the middle of a hurricane, the rain bashing against the light-tight windows as I padded down the stairs. I could hear Eric in his office, his voice drifting throughout the house as he spoke on the phone. More witchy business to attend to, of course.<p>

I counted down the moments it took for the TruBlood bottle to heat up. In the corner of the large, modern kitchen – I don't know why Eric chose to build such a large kitchen when we rarely used it. Perhaps it was just for show? – sat a small TV set. I switched it on, and watched a human talk show. It wasn't surprising to see they were speaking of vampires.

If you flicked through the channels, there was _always_ some show talking about vampires. There were a group Eric told me about, the American Vampire League, who tried to convince humans that we weren't dangerous, and that we wouldn't drain humans or anything because we now had TruBlood to satisfy us. However, on this show it was just the News interviewing random people about how they felt.

Most were pretty negative, so I ignored it while I pulled out a mug and poured the TruBlood in. It was sloppy, sloshing over the edge a bit. I licked my fingers and picked up an old cloth to wipe it away. I was busy planning what I would do tonight. Either watch more movies and shows, read or go to Fangtasia with Eric. All sounded pretty good to me.

Eric had plans already. "We're gonna go to Merlotte's tonight."

I almost dropped my mug. Had I heard him correctly? Eric…in a human bar. In my head, nothing good could come from that. I looked at him curiously as he began throwing on a leather jacket and searching the drawers of his desk for his keys. It would take me seconds to find an old dress or maybe some jeans, then we could head out.

"Why?"

"Miss Stackhouse should be able to help us."

I almost jumped for joy. Boy, I loved Sookie. I loved humans in general, their lives were so complicated and intricate. However, none of those humans seemed to like me much simply because I was a vampire. Seemed unfair to judge someone they didn't know.

"You think she might know these people?"

Eric shrugged. "Even if she doesn't know them personally, she might just overhear someone thinking about their names, or hear someone thinking of the ritual in her mind. She's a telepathic waitress, we're lucky to have found her."

I smiled at him, delighted we were going to see her. Eric sighed at my expression, rolling his eyes and walking past me. I heard him in the hallway, finally finding his keys on the coffee table. "Why are you so grumpy?" I asked.

"I don't usually like trusting a human with something so important to me. I can handle things myself."

"Sometimes you are such a control freak Eric."

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><p>After a car ride filled with Swedish music I didn't understand, we walked into the bar and everything suddenly went quiet. Literally every person in the entire bar turned and stared at Eric and I. He wasn't amused, clamping a hand on my waist and pulling me to the bar. Sam was behind the bar – see, I remembered his name. He was equally shocked to see us.<p>

"Hiya Sam!" I smiled.

"Look, we don't want no trouble."

Well. That put a downer on my night. He instantly assumed we were here to stir things up. Eric looked down at me, straightening up. He had noticed Sam smelled…different. I personally didn't know the scent, though Eric clearly did. He would fill me in later, like always.

"We are here to speak with Sookie. Is she present?" Eric asked coldly. Way to break the ice. We were really making friends here.

"Yeah. I'll go get her," Sam replied in an equally hostile tone.

When Sam left, I gave Eric a little punch in the ribs. He barely noticed it, glancing around the bar. He found it distasteful it seemed. That same red-headed waitress narrowly passed us holding a tray so tightly her hands were shaking, her knuckles were white. His eyes tracked one man, who smelled faintly of Sookie. A brother, perhaps? Eric's eyes narrowed, like he suspect something. If that was Sookie's brother, he looked awful nervous.

"Honestly Ruby, how you can like humans is beyond me," Eric grunted.

I craned my neck to look up at him and smiled. "You're just a grumpy old man tonight, aren't you?"

Sookie appeared, looking cross and irritated I saw some fading bruises on her face. Instantly, I was worried for her. Someone had knocked her about, that much was evident. Eric didn't seem to care much, because he said nothing.

"What do you want, Eric?" she asked irritably.

"We need your assistance again. May we speak in private?"

"Can't y'all see I'm workin'! You can't just call for me at random times that suit you!"

"Listen Sookie, I am willing to pay you a large amount of money for this." This was news to me. I didn't look at Eric though, preferring to look at Sookie. Who had hit her, I wondered? Was Bill there to protect her? "We're searching for two women. You're going to help us."

Of course, Eric didn't say 'Will you help us?', he just demanded it. Sookie's eyes drifted between Eric and I, knowing she didn't really have a choice. She threw her hands up after a few seconds, huffing and storming off into the backroom. Eric smiled and put his arm around my shoulder.

"What was that you said about fluffy clouds and happy bunnies Ruby?" he smirked.

"Okay, I get it, you're a really tough 'alpha male' kinda guy," I said, following Sookie, smiling myself. "And you're willing to threaten poor Sookie into helping us. Well done, you've proved your point."

A bunch of eyes watched us, all itching to gossip about the two new vampires at their bar.

"I told you. I always get what I want," he said from behind me. What else did I expect from a Viking vampire anyway? "I proved that by courting you." He snickered, eyes roaming the halls Sookie led us to. She asked Sam if we could use his office, and of course he let her after glaring at Eric for a few seconds.

"Now, what do you want?" Sookie asked, slamming the office door behind us.

"Oh, nothing much. Just need help finding some witches involved in a sacrificial ritual," Eric shrugged playfully, suddenly in better spirits. "Do you have TruBlood by the way?"


	12. Shame On You

**A/N: **_Thanks for all the reviews and everything! I appreciate it! :) More memories soon, possibly the next chapter… ;) :D_

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven – Shame On You<strong>

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><p>"<em>Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate, now what's going to happen to us with both a House and a Senate?"<em>_  
><em>**- ****Will Rogers.**

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><p>Sookie was frowning, with her arms crossed over her chest. Eric had the same pose, his long legs splayed out in front of him as he leaned against Sam's desk. Sam's office was quite neat, with only a few papers scattered around the place. Some were just delivery notices for beer and food for the bar. That's how bored I was getting, memorizing the names of human beers.<p>

Sookie was reluctant to get involved with vampires again. She had been beaten up, though I don't know if a human or vampire did it. The bruises were fading. I wondered why Bill didn't give her his blood, and I didn't want to ask. Humans didn't like the dreams we gave them. Eric, however, was not backing down. He was willing to pay a very large amount to enlist Sookie's help.

Typical of the Viking vampire, he didn't ask nicely, he just demanded and expected her to help us. "All you have to do is read the minds of your customers here and report back to us when you find something."

"Give me two weeks. If I hear nothing after that, you still pay me."

He growled in annoyance, but I put a hand on his leg to stop him. I smiled at her. Eric should see things from her point of view. I would never get tangled up with witches by choice, but now I _needed_ to know what happened and why. "That's perfect, Sookie, thank you. I'll stay here for a while, if you don't mind. Then I'll drive back to Fangtasia before sunrise, right?"

Eric glared at me. "You can't stay by yourself."

"Eric, in a crowded place like this. The witches wouldn't want to come out to humans like that. Don't you agree?"

He didn't look too sure. So of course, I put on what the human TV show called the 'puppy-dog eyes'. I adored puppy dogs, but somehow I couldn't ever imagine Eric letting me keep one. Can you imagine him cleaning up the poo? Because I sure as hell can't. They have such short life spans – then again, to an immortal, everything has a short life span, even humans. They're always complaining about how short their lives are.

"You call me every two hours?"

"Three," I stated, not backing down. He smirked, though I could tell he was still uncertain. Witches were powerful. I didn't want to go back to Fangtasia. It was too…boring. All I did was go there, or go to our home, and I felt too protected. Of course Eric had his reasons, especially after what Jess did. I had been so stupid to believe her.

He still looked reluctant to leave even when I had to practically push him out the door. It was still relatively early. Eleven at night meant Merlotte's was quite full. When I re-entered the bar, Sookie took me firmly by the elbow, pulling me along to a booth at the end of the bar. I plonked onto the seat, watching her with fascination. Everything about Sookie interested me. Her blood especially. Man, I would absolutely love to just drain her and-…

Wait. No. No, no, _no_ Ruby. Don't even think like that.

I shook my head as if I were trying to shake the thoughts away. It worked, for the most part. I hadn't realized Sookie was speaking to me. Wearily I listened as she listed off the things I could and could not do. I could not drain anyone. I could not harm a human. I could not be rude to customers, or get Sookie in trouble with her boss. I could drink some TruBlood and be silent if I liked. Sookie went to the back room, and returned with a magazine for me to read.

I enjoyed flicking through it, ignoring the buzz of human voices. They were just as loud as they were in Fangtasia, if not louder. In Fangtasia, the loud music normally drowned them out. All I had here to distract me was the hum of the jukebox by the snooker table, playing an old country Western song I didn't recognize.

The magazine disgusted me. It was filled with idiotic bimbos, if I'm honest. How were men – especially young boys – supposed to respect these women and see the difference between the pieces of meat on the magazine and women in their everyday life? Humans can be such filthy creatures. They always try to cover it up though. They pretend that they're these civilized, caring creatures when they're not. They judge the vampires too.

Though we're not so great ourselves. We drink their_ blood_, for crying out loud!

Suddenly I heard a scream. My head snapped up with interest. Female scream, annoyed and whiny, that much I could tell from the loud tone. No one else in the bar heard it, I checked. Gosh, humans had horrible hearing. Even Sam behind the bar didn't notice anything. At vampire speed I rushed to the parking lot, leaving the door swinging behind me.

I spotted a human child with a male child beside her, screaming with tears running down her face. Were the witches here? If they were, I wouldn't let them hurt these children. I instantly ran and picked the child up by the collar. In hindsight, I guess that wasn't exactly a caring approach. The child looked at me with wide eyes. She was quite pretty. Red hair, pale skin. I checked the boy. He had blond hair, not as pale as the girl. He held a doll in his hands, too.

I was aware of another heartbeat. Not the boy's. A woman appeared by the car beside us. Her eyes were wide just like the girl's. She was clutching her handbag, baring a silver cross on a necklace at me. It was quite tiny. It wouldn't do much damage. Wasn't she the red-headed waitress working with Sookie? I was thoroughly confused now.

My main interest was to protect the kids from this insane waitress. She was baring silver at us! She clearly wanted to kill us! While still holding the girl by the collar, I put her firmly behind me and bared my fangs. No way was I letting some psycho woman in a parking lot hurt them.

"Let go of my daughter you crazy fanger! Let go of Lisa!"

I panicked and raised my hand to block her attempts at bashing me with a handbag, realizing suddenly that she was their mother. Oh. I felt stupid. Of course, she was the mother. She looked just like the girl. She was a brave woman, attacking a vampire with a handbag and an old silver cross. It showed just how far she'd go to protect her babies.

"Oh God, Ruby you put her down _right now_!"

I blinked at the new voice. It was Sookie's. She and Sam were running towards us, shock on their faces. The door to the bar was still closed, so no humans were able to hear this scene. Slowly, I put Lisa on the ground and watched her run to her mother. Sookie put her hands on her hips, as she if she were _my_ mother. Sam took a deep breath, pulling the boy away from me. The boy was staring at my fangs in amazement.

"I'm sorry," I whispered nervously, avoiding her gaze like a scolded child, scuffing my shoes on the gravel in the parking lot.

"Just what the _Hell_ did you think you were doing? Shame on you! Were you gonna drain Arlene's kids?"

I gasped, looking up at her in shock. "N-No, of course not! I would never do that! I…I just heard her scream. Lisa, I mean. I wanted to protect her. And then Arlene came out with the silver, and I thought she was trying to hurt them, so I tried protecting them…I'm sorry!"

Arlene's eyes softened as she heard that, and I noticed she loosened her grip on Lisa. I felt really bad. I hadn't meant to frighten them or anything. I really thought she was going to hurt them, especially when she was baring silver like that. Sookie sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Arlene, I'm real sorry," she said. "Ruby…Ruby is really harmless. In fact, she's the nicest vampire I've ever met."

Arlene didn't look convinced, and all the blood left her face when her son stepped towards me. "Coby!" she hissed.

"I like your fangs, Miss Ruby," he said.

"Me too," Lisa agreed. She was smiling at me. _Two_ real humans liked my fangs!

I hadn't realized they were still out though.

"How about we all head inside and sort this out, okay?" Sam said quietly, leading Coby and Lisa inside.

We sat at the booth I had been in before. Arlene nervously took the other seat, holding her kids on her lap. Sookie stood beside the table, still having her hands on her hips, frowning. I crumpled up my magazine, giving it to her.

"Now, Ruby, this lady's name is Arlene Fowler, and these are her kids. I want you explain to Arlene _exactly_ what happened," she ordered.

"I was reading the magazine, and I heard Lisa scream. I went outside to help her, and I thought you were the threat because you were baring silver at me, Miss Fowler, so I tried protecting the kids from you. I'm very sorry. I hadn't realized they were yours," I said.

"Well," Arlene huffed. "I-I…suppose I can forgive you. If you were protectin' them." She wasn't entirely forgiving though, I could tell that much. "Why were you screaming, Lisa, hunny?"

"Coby took my doll, Cindy!" she whined. "I wanted it back, so I was yelling for you!"

"Be more careful," Arlene sighed, though how the heck was a kid supposed to know an amnesiac vampire was going to be running around the bar? I said nothing, because it wasn't my place. I just felt a lot of guilt for it. Eventually, after Sookie assured her I was the safest person her kids could be left with in this bar, Arlene went to work her shift. It was kind of true, that I was the safest person to leave them with. All the people here were humans. If they tried to hurt the kids – though let's be honest, they weren't going to, they had no reason – I was the strongest one here. I thought it was a little late for the kids to be here, and I voiced my thoughts.

"Momma didn't have a babysitter for us, 'cause Rene ain't around no more," Coby said, sipping on a Coca Cola Sam had brought him.

I didn't ask who Rene was. I enjoyed chatting with the kids. They had such a clear view on things. Kids always did it seemed. They really, really liked my fangs. Whenever they asked me to show them, I would comply, though I didn't like the horrified gasps from the other humans.

I put a hand up to cover them, embarrassed.

"Oh you shouldn't be ashamed of your fangs, Miss Ruby, I think they're real pretty," Lisa smiled. I _loved_ these kids, a lot.

"Really?"

"Well yeah!" Coby grinned. "You shouldn't hide them just 'cause other people don't like them!"

That cheered me up so much I didn't put my fangs away until I had to leave to go home, and I had a big smile on my face. Tonight hadn't been so bad after all.


	13. Delusions

**A/N: **_Thank you for all the reviews and such, I love them :)_

*****WARNING: Curses. ****Thou hast been warned. *le gasp* *****

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><p><strong>Chapter <strong>**Twelve – Delusions**

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><p>"<em>A man who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.<em>_"_  
><strong>- <strong>**Max Lucado.**

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><p>"I swear Tabitha, I ain't been bitten in a week. I'm goin' through withdrawals!" the woman complained.<p>

I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything. Trust me, it was hard _not_ to hear them, because they were purposely speaking so loudly in the hopes that I would turn, smile and bare my fangs saying 'Well ladies, you're in luck. I'm willin' to bite both of you right here and now'. I saw the disappointment in their eyes when I simply continued applying lipstick in the mirrors. Fangtasia had some nice bathrooms. I smacked my lips together. I loved make-up! It was fun. Pam, however, was very irritated with me when she found me sitting on the ground in these very bathrooms, having smothered myself in some of her face cream. She said it cost her an arm and a leg, and there I was wasting it.

She gave me the silent treatment for half the night, furiously scrubbing the cream off my face and teaching me how to_ actually_ apply the stuff. Eric found it very amusing. The two women – one named Tabitha, I had just discovered – were eyeing me up and down like I was some kind of dessert.

"Y'know Lily, the last vamp that bit me told me I had the best blood he'd ever tasted," Tabitha smirked.

Eric had told me that the fangbangers were getting curious as to why I didn't accept a few offers like I used to when I was first turned. I refuse flat out to hurt any humans now that I've lost my memories, so these women were wasting their time trying to tempt me. I put the lid back on my lipstick, shoving it into the pockets of my jeans. I wore a black hoody. I know, I know, not what the fangbangers were expecting at this place, because apparently I used to wear revealing dresses, but I just didn't feel comfortable in them anymore. Eric supported me either way, which was something I found very sweet about him. No matter what I did, he was always right there behind me to help me.

Sometimes though, I felt crippling sadness and guilt for Eric. He would start talking about some memory or something that had happened in the past, and quickly have to stop when he realized I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. He still had to remind me to do certain things. I was very forgetful in general, even before I lost my memories entirely. I could ask some pretty stupid questions about humans.

The music in Fangtasia was always deafening. I never got used to it. It was some screaming man trying to sing, roaring about pain and emotions and death. Typical vampire music really. Eric said it was called 'heavy metal'. Apparently I hadn't liked it much when I had my memories either. Eric claims I liked the Swedish music he played, but I highly doubt that. I couldn't understand the wailing woman at all.

We still had no word from Sookie. I glanced at my watch. It was really cute. It had a cartoon Minnie Mouse on it with fangs and blood dripping down her chin with an evil smirk. Those cartoons about animated animals always made me smile. The things humans came up with! I loved the Disney films. Eric would visibly shudder if I asked to watch an adventure or romance film, the poor Viking, but he still put up with it.

Perhaps that's one of the reasons I loved Eric so much. He did a lot for me without complaining, you know? He loved me even if I wasn't the Ruby he began a relationship with. I liked how Disney always had a happy ending. That didn't seem to happen much in real life though. I sighed. A girl was allowed to dream though.

It had been three nights since we visited Sookie, and I met Arlene Fowler's kids. Eric had hired a new bartender, Chow, therefore replacing Longshadow. He's almost one hundred and fifty years old, and he knows about my 'condition'. He's not as chatty as Ginger, which I don't mind. The bonus is he definitely doesn't shriek like Ginger does.

He's nice enough to me, though I can tell he's worried about the witches. Heck, so are Eric and Pam, though they won't admit it. If they can take away my memories, what else can they do? My eyes searched the crowd for Eric, since he wasn't in his throne tonight. Pam was manning the doors. I found it funny when underage teenagers tried to get in. Pam asked everyone for I.D, because she can't tell a human's age anymore. The teenagers never got through. You can't bullshit with Pam.

"We gotta get out of here-…"

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><p><em>The rain pounded against the window. I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for my TruBlood to be finished in the microwave. Five more seconds. Four…three…two-<em>

_There were three sharp, abrupt knocks on our front door. I heard it over the buzz of the TV, the sound of the radio humming along with the microwave. That's vampire hearing for you. I let out a deep sigh. We rarely got visitors at home. Humans are wary to visit a vampire's house, of course. It's only logical that they fear us. Our home is quite large, and I hummed to myself as I made my way down the hall. I flung the door open, glad the rain didn't hit me. Whoa, I hadn't realized it was so heavy out, almost like a storm. _

_A human stood before me, shivering, soaked to the bone. His heartbeat picked up the moment he laid eyes on me. I didn't take much notice of it. Another human appeared, huddled in his dark grey jacket. I saw their truck down by the entrance to our driveway, off a beaten parish road._

"_H-Hello…My name is A-Alex, and this is Jack…our truck broke down and we saw your lights…Could we use your phone or something?"_

_I eyed them suspiciously. Eric wouldn't be back from Fangtasia for a while, but I could handle two humans by myself. I took in a deep breath, trying to smell their scents. The rain was making it difficult. Perhaps that's why I didn't smell the V on them at the time. The phone was in the kitchen. Along with my TruBlood. Mmm, TruBlood. Yum._

"_Sure. You can use it."_

_I turned my back – big mistake. Scalding hot pain ran throughout my body as I fell to the ground. Silver chains! I knew it straight away. The man named Alex was sitting on top of me. Quickly, I reached my hands for his neck. Fuck the Magister, he couldn't blame me for murdering humans in self defense, could he? I was searching blindly, and the moment I found Alex's neck I snapped it, he fell over. He had still been clutching the silver, which ripped from my skin. I screamed in pain, knowing half my face had just gone with it. Ew, gross. _

_I staggered to my feet. I saw myself in the mirror beside the door. Yes, I was correct. Shiny, bloody skin stared back at me, the pattern of the silver chains covering my skin. I winced, touching it. It was healing though. Not too bad. My brown hair that had been in a bun – I hate to get TruBlood in my hair, it's a bitch to get out – had come undone, falling just an inch or two below my shoulders. _

_In a flash, I saw the silver before I felt it. When I fell, I screamed for the entire woods surrounding us to hear. How I __**hate**__ silver! It's similar to being burned by fire for a human, only I feel it's ten times worse. Jack, wasn't that the other humans name? My fangs came out, because I would not go down without a fight. Eric had always taught me to defend myself, not to be some helpless baby vampire that depends on everyone else. _

_It was easier said than done. Unlike Alex, I couldn't get a grip on Jack. It was then I realized he must be on V. A human isn't naturally that fast, able to second-guess my moves as we struggled against each other on the floor. Another weakness was not being able to see what I was doing over the silver. All I could smell was my own flesh burning, so that did nothing to help either, it just made me panic more. My microwave was beeping in the distance. Dang, that been the last bottle of A Negative. Why the Hell was I thinking about that when I was being thrown around like a rag doll by a __**human**__? This was degrading._

_I let out a triumphant yell when I got a grip on Jack's collar. It was soaking from the rain, and some drops ran down the length of my forearm. I lifted him with difficultly, because the silver was now stuck to me. I would need help getting it off, which would be an utterly painful experience. I slammed Jack against the white walls in our hallway. Eric would have felt my pain. He'd be here any minute now, and this would all be over. Jack screamed out in pain when I sunk my fangs into his neck. Aw, he was just a normal O positive. What a shame! _

_He was getting weaker. I still didn't feel any stronger though, even with his blood. In fact, if anything I was beginning to feel dizzy and weak. I snapped his neck, letting him crash to the ground. I staggered backwards, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. Blood smeared across it. I need a God-damn shower. Oooh, I hope Pam bought that cocoa butter stuff! I certainly needed to relax after this…_

_I was such an idiot for not expecting more humans. The silver net was thrown around me as I was about to go get the phone, and down I went, crashing to the ground. Two more humans, one werewolf. I knew the scent of the werewolf. It was hard for the rain to wash away the scent of a dog! It only made it worse. I thought the humans' hearts would explode they were beating so fast. They were petrified. I couldn't fight against the net, not when I was already weakened._

_But I still didn't give up. I kicked, thrashed, punched. _

"_We gotta get outta here guys! She's gotta Maker, the Fangtasia vampire!" Lou said. I knew it was Lou's voice. _

"_Just calm down," the werewolf growled. Rob. Rob, that was his name. I could see this happening like it were a film, like an outer-body experience. Like I was just a bystander watching the whole thing, so I knew who was who. "It'll take him a while, no matter how fast he can fly…"_

_Eric can fly? I couldn't remember if he'd told me that or not. It seemed like something I'd recall. I managed to throw the human off of me. Rick! It was Rick, I knew it from how he grunted as he hit his shoulder against the wall. Rob was on me now, holding me down. He gave me one clean punch, and I swear I saw stars. _

_Then I was being dragged by my ankles out of the house. I left a very dark trail of blood behind me. Rick had the courtesy to close the front door behind us, before I was hoisted up into the air by Rob and thrown into the back of the pick-up truck._

"_Like I said, we gotta get out of here!"_

* * *

><p>"We gotta go now Mags, they're closin'. You already got your Fangtasia t-shirt. Let's call it a night."<p>

Once again I had accidentally eavesdropped on two women talking about leaving, and it set off a memory of how I was taken. My skin still tingled as if the silver was still on me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts. 'Mags', one of the women, was clearly drunk out of her mind and had to be dragged away by her friend. I watched them with a blank expression.

I went to the bar, sat down and closed my eyes, rethinking everything. The last of the customers had left when I opened them again, hearing Pam's high-heels clicking against the floor. She let out a long sigh, leaning against the counter beside me and rolling her eyes towards Chow, who dutifully began cleaning glasses and TruBlood bottles behind the bar.

"Humans are such idiots," she stated in a flat voice.

Chow grunted in agreement. When I said nothing, they both looked at me. I didn't think humans were idiots. They fascinated me, but vampires were forever thinking they were the superior race, and I sometimes just agreed so I wouldn't have to listen to lectures on _why_ we're so great. Humans had their good sides too. Pam's eyes narrowed.

"Did you have a memory tonight Ruby?"

I blinked, surprised. "How did you know?"

"I can read you like a book," she said, coming towards me. She put her hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes, with such an intense look it was like she was trying to Glamour me. Thank God I'm a vampire, so that isn't possible. "What did you remember? Anything about the witches we can use to our advantage?"

I shook my head, watching the disappoint appear in her blue eyes. Pam's hair had been tied into a pretty bun tonight, to show off her new sparkly earrings. Her tight black leather dress was new too, along with her blood red shoes and belt. Pam usually wore pastels, but tonight she was working and had to put on a show.

"Just the night I was taken," I shrugged tiredly. Memories wore me out. "Rick and Lou and Rob…"

I felt Eric's presence in the parking lot through our bond. Pam probably had too, but she didn't do anything, only let go of me and went behind the bar beside Chow. I don't know where Eric went tonight, but I could hear the car door slam. I sluggishly got off the bar stool and went to greet him, closing the door behind me. There he was, locking the car. I smiled when I saw Eric, just like I always did.

"Ruby, how is my favorite progeny this fine night?" he winked, joking with me. I was glad he was in a good mood.

I laughed. "Don't let Pam hear you say that."

He laughed too, and it's always great to hear Eric genuinely laugh. He rarely does it in front of humans. He had to bend down to kiss my temple while we walked back to Fangtasia, but he froze suddenly, eyes narrowed. His arm was around my shoulder, but he was tense.

"Eric?" I whispered quietly, but he hushed me very quickly.

"Do you hear that?" he asked, equally low and quiet.

I strained my ears to hear what he was talking about. Surely I would have heard something just like him?. Then again, he was a thousand years old, he probably knew what to look out for. Faintly I could hear a heartbeat, that was getting a little louder. We both turned at the same time, and there was Karen in front of me. The scarily bright red tips at the end of her hair were glowing in the streetlights, as were her eyes. But she was crying, sniffling like a child. I don't recall the red tips being so bright, but I had more important things to focus on.

Eric was frowning. I remembered that he had no idea who she was. In his eyes, she was just some human from the streets. Karen wore a black cardigan, a black tank top, and some black jeans. It contrasted with her pale skin. She had a tattoo on her left hand, something I hadn't seen before. It was intricately designed with swirls and circles and the symbol of a diamond in the centre.

"Eric…that's Karen," I whispered, suddenly terrified. You know it's bad if a vampire is afraid of a human, especially one looking as pathetically weak as Karen was right now, still sniffling and taking small steps towards us. She looked at us using puppy-dog eyes, cautious.

The moment I told Eric who she was, his fangs were out and he had vanished from my side, appearing in front of Karen and gripping her throat, growling from deep within his chest. She squeaked at his vampire speed. Her feet didn't touch the ground, because Eric held her as far out as he could. I gasped myself, just like Karen was doing now because Eric was holding her throat too tightly for her to get any oxygen. I rushed forward to his side.

She obviously had a reason for being here. She wouldn't put herself in so much danger. I scanned the rest of the parking lot to make sure she was alone. When I was satisfied that Karen must have a death wish to come here all on her lonesome, I put my hands on Eric's outstretched arm, seeing Karen was going red and having difficulty breathing.

"Eric, put her down right now!"

I was repeating exactly what Sookie had said to me nights before in what I hoped was the same strong tone. He grunted at me, only baring his fangs more, but he lowered her slightly, giving her some time to breath. She took in the oxygen gratefully, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She wasn't so red anymore.

"P-Please…I came here to help you…"

Oh, Eric was gripping her too tightly again. I had to squeeze his arm to remind him, and he was still growling.

"Do you _think_ for one second I would let you anyway near my Ruby after what you have done?" he growled. Seeing him that angry actually scared me a little. "Do you think me stupid, human?" He shook her just for emphasis, before dropping her to the ground. She went down with a loud crash.

I quickly put myself between Eric and Karen, putting my hands on his chest. He didn't even look at me, keeping his eyes fixed on her. "Eric please. She came here for a reason. She's the only lead we got, especially if Sookie doesn't hear anything," I whispered quietly, making sure not to say Sookie's name too loudly. If Karen somehow got away and this was all a trick, she might go after Sookie if she could track her down. Never underestimate a witch.

He was considering it, I could see how torn he was between logic and wanting to rip Karen's head off. Slowly he straightened up and took a step back. Karen was still crying. I must admit I wanted to kick and stamp on her, make her feel how I did. Even then that wouldn't be enough.

"Fine. We'll talk," Eric barked, grabbing Karen roughly by her cardigan collar and dragging her along the ground. Kind of like how Rob had dragged me out of our house when they took me. I sighed once more before following them inside.


	14. Ojos

**A/N: **_Thank you for all the reviews, alerts etc. :) If you're wondering, this chapter means 'Eyes' in Spanish ;D Oh and, blah, blah, blah, school, excuses for being late with the updates, blah, blah, blah ;) I realize things went differently in TB, but this is FF for a reason! Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen – Ojos<strong>

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><p>"<em>An idea, to be suggestive, must come to the individual with the force of revelation."<em>  
><strong>- <strong>**William James.**

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><p>Karen gingerly sat in the chair in front of Eric's desk. It's amazing to think just weeks ago I sat in that very chair, scared and confused, wondering who the Hell I was. My Maker stood behind me with a hand on my shoulder, keeping his glare firmly on Karen, watching every single move she made. I was too aware of her movements. She was a human, and they moved very slowly, so it was easy for us to track her movements. But witches are crafty. Hence, <em>witchcraft<em> and spells and all the things that can damage a vampire very badly.

"Why did you come here?" Eric asked coldly.

She blinked, avoiding his gaze for a very long time.

"He won't Glamour you. I promise. Just please be honest," I whispered softly, shifting in my seat.

I felt Eric's eyes on me, the worry through our bond. He knew I was a little bit scared of Karen, whether she was human or not. Karen was smaller than me, something I hadn't noticed before. A few inches or two, but it was noticeable. I noted everything about her. Even how she kept twisting the cuffs of her cardigan nervously.

"Oh, Lord, she'll kill me if she knows I'm here," Karen whispered to herself, blessing herself once. We all knew she spoke of Lucy. "Ruby spoke to her once. Lucy didn't shut up about it for a long time. She was talking about how we could save humans from vampires, all by one simple little spell."

There it was, the tingling in my skin. Another memory.

* * *

><p><em>I wasn't a waitress, yet here I was, carrying empty glasses and TruBlood bottles to the bar, easily maneuvering through the crowd. Humans were dancing with vampires. The stench of sweat and lust was horrible. When I reached the bar, Longshadow gratefully took the glasses from me and thanked me, which surprised me. He rarely says thank you for things as small as this. I ignored the fact that he didn't look me in the eye. He was acting quite shady tonight, as if he did something wrong.<em>

_Whatever. I have better things to be doing right now. _

_For example, Eric had pointed out a very tasty-looking human. I preferred real blood to the TruBlood stuff. It was boring and tasted vile. Yuck. I shuddered just thinking about it. _

_A woman stepped in front of me as I tried to make my way back to Eric's throne. He was sitting there with such a bored expression. The woman was Lucy, I knew that now. She was smiling at me, and she took my hand. I was used to fangbangers, and at the time that's exactly what I thought she was. It didn't cross my mind that she could be a witch. _

"_Hello Ruby Northman! It is a pleasure to meet you at last!"_

_I also didn't pay much attention to the fact that she knew my name, or that she called me Northman either. A lot of fangbangers knew it. Why shouldn't they? I'm a well-known vampire, if I say so myself. My eyes travelled to note the clothes Lucy was wearing. A green granny cardigan. Flat, sensible black shoes and a cream-colored dress with a blue belt that made me vomit internally. No fashion sense, clearly. Pam would just love to dress this lady in some Fangtasia gear._

_I noticed Lucy didn't have any merchandise on her, no shirts or fake fangs, and she was still holding my hand. When I looked down, I saw she had the same tattoo on her left hand as Karen did. Strange. But of course, I couldn't tell the Old Ruby that. I just had to watch this like I was watching a movie._

"_Do I know you?" I asked, a little peeved that she was still blocking my way. If it were Eric she was clinging onto, she would be kicked out of the way. Something told me to stay and try not to be as aggressive._

"_Ruby, sweet-pea. I just been watchin' you for the past few weeks, and I must say you are exquisitely beautiful, you know that?"_

_I shrugged. "Thanks." I waited for her to ask me to bite her, like the fangbangers usually do after throwing out a compliment. She said nothing, only kept staring into my eyes with this creepily wide smile as if I were the answer to her prayers. In a way, I guess I was. She had found the perfect vampire. _

"_Can I help you, Lucy?" I asked carefully edging around her. She was a pretty lady, and she smelled good enough to eat, sure, but she was freaking me out. _

"_Oh no, child. I'm here to help __**you**__," she chuckled, like it was one big joke. _

"_Excuse me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. _

"_You are so confident in yourself. Tell me, do you ever worry about your soul, child?" _

'_Child'. She kept calling me that. And asking about my soul? Was she another one of those lame-ass reporters asking vampires stupid questions for their stupid magazines, trying to be creative? Eric hated those guys just as much as I did. I tried taking my hand from hers as gently as possible, but she didn't give up._

"_I'll save you Ruby, I promise."_

_Weirdo. I ignored her, spinning on my hells and heading back to Eric. I had dealt with fangbangers before, but that Lucy lady was the strangest one so far._

* * *

><p>"Is she okay?"<p>

"If you hadn't erased her memory, she wouldn't have to go through this every time someone mentions something that triggers a memory!"

"I…I'm sorry.."

"Yeah, you will be. I'll make sure of it."

I blinked, Eric's face coming into focus. He was glaring at Karen, leaning dangerously close to her. I could tell his fangs were itching to come out, and Karen could too. She stared at his mouth with wide-eyes, and I could see her sweat, filled with terror and fear.

"Eric," I muttered. "It's fine." I waved my hand as if that would calm him and make him relax. "I'll tell you about it later."

"_My name is Lucy, and I am going to deliver you from your sins."_

As soon as I thought of Lucy, her voice rang in my ears. Karen looked at me instead of Eric. She thought I was the weaker of the two, and in a way she was both right and wrong. Right, because I had no memories. Wrong, because without the memories I didn't really know my own strength and sometimes I found it hard to distinguish right from wrong. Sookie asked if I even knew what morals were. Barely. Personal boundaries were something I overlooked too. I forgot that some things were private, and people didn't want to share them with a baby vampire. Had to keep that in mind when questioning someone.

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Twenty-eight," she answered.

"You're the same age as me," I replied. Sort of. I'm technically going to be twenty-eight forever.

"That's….great," she said uncertainly.

"Your tattoo. What does it symbolize?" Eric asked. He still held a harsh, cold tone.

As soon as he mentioned it, Karen lifted her left hand as if she had forgotten it was there. She scrunched up her face as if disgusted by it. The ink was very dark, contrasting with her pale ivory skin. Swirls. A diamond in the middle. Karen didn't seem very proud of it. She twisted her hand to show us her entire palm. Some words were written around the diamond, words that I didn't understand. Apparently Eric didn't either.

Karen sniffled. She had calmed down at little, but whenever Eric made any sudden movements her heartbeat would go a mile a minute and she'd jump nervously. I think he was doing it on purpose just to frighten her.

"The coven I'm a member of. We all have one. Lucy designed it."

A growl came from my throat, though I didn't mean to do it. I clamped a hand to my mouth, embarrassed by how animalistic it sounded. Eric didn't seem surprised, but Karen definitely was. There was her terrified heartbeat pounding in my ears again, going pitter-patter. My eyes tracked her every movement. I could see her pulse in her neck, as weird as it sounds. How I wish I could just use my fangs to rip her to shreds and I could just drink her blood and then…

Realize I was such a monster.

Sighing, I leaned back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose as I tried to sort out all the questions I had for this woman. Biting her would do nothing. "How many people are in your coven? Twenty-something?"

She seemed impressed. "Twenty-nine. We were all present on the night we…t-the night we…"

"Ruined our lives," Eric spat bitterly. Huh. Not fair, I didn't really see it that way. The Old Ruby sounds just like Eric. Perhaps that's why we got on so well and ended up together. Now I just felt like an outsider, though it wasn't as obvious as before. I think I was starting to fit in.

That did it. Karen burst into tears. "I'm so sorry. I haven't slept since that night. I felt so guilty."

Anger cursed through my veins. "You took the _blood_ from my chest and smeared it on your face, Karen. Or are you a bit forgetful?"

My dark tone even surprised Eric for once. He covered it up quickly. I had every right to be pissed off. Even though Karen tried not to stare into my eyes for too long, I didn't give up. I had to know why it was me, why not some other vampire. I remembered the moon. It calmed me. Even when I was bound to that table by silver in the woods, I had focused on the moon. Why it was so important to me, I don't know. I made a mental note to ask Eric.

"It was like a trance…Ruby, you don't understand it was…_magical_," Karen whispered, her eyes lighting up at the mere memory. I imagined jumping across the table and gouging her eyes out. That, and the image of the moon, calmed me a great deal. Karen's eyes became sadder when she looked at me. "I'm so sorry. The magic just takes over."

"Why Ruby? Why did you choose her?" Eric asked, so suddenly that Karen jumped again.

"Lu-Lucy chose her. We had a meeting in the woods by the old Hummingbird parish road, around that area where there aren't any humans." She didn't know about Sookie's house nearby then, or Bill's across the cemetery. The woods around there were large anyway. Sookie would never have known anything about it if it weren't for Eric's interference in her life. "We had a member of our group come to Fangtasia, searching with Lucy for a vampire. From the moment she saw Ruby, Lucy knew she was the one for the spell. She sent a guy from our group to watch her for weeks, established a routine. Every few nights, Ruby would stay at home."

I didn't say anything. Karen checked my expression before she even considered moving on with the story.

"Lucy was fascinated by you. She thought a cocky, over-confident vampire was the perfect specimen for the spell. If we could control someone like you, we could control all vampires. We didn't know your age as a vampire, but that didn't matter. Lucy said it would work. And it did."

Eric suddenly looked into her eyes, and I knew he was Glamouring her. "Are you truly on our side?"

In a dazed, monotone voice, Karen blinked slowly and softly said, "Yes."

Okay. Good. So she really was on our side. When he let go of her gaze, she didn't even remember what happened. Eric put a hand to his chin, thinking and planning. Even after one thousand years, he was still an amazing Viking, and he was totally in the planning mode right now. He could be quite sneaky.

"Do you know how to break the spell?" I asked.

Eric's eyes drifted to watch Karen carefully as she fidgeted again. "I think so. I read some books in Lucy's home. I understood most of them. One said if you kill the witch that cast the spell in the first place, it breaks all spells she's ever cast."

"Is it reliable? Would…Would it really work?" I asked cautiously.

Karen hesitated. "I think so." That meant it was 50/50.

I looked at Eric. "What do we do?"

"We ambush them," he said after two or three minutes of Karen looking fit to burst into fresh tears.

"W-What?" she whimpered. Ugh, the sun was going to come up within an hour. I was tired already. I hope we can trust Karen to leave and come back whenever we ask of her for this plan of Eric's, since she's supposedly on our side.

"You will lead us to them. We can take them by surprise."

Operation The Old Ruby Returns was go then.


	15. Six Feet Under

**A/N: **_I am __**so **__sorry. I haven't updated in so long because I had no internet for a while, and I apologise for that. Hopefully you guys can forgive me… ;D_

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen – Six Feet Under.<strong>

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><p>"<em>Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself."<em>

**- James A. Froude.**

* * *

><p>It seemed I was going to be committing a murder very soon. To my surprise, this didn't bother me like I thought it would. Perhaps that was what scared me the most. In fact, I was almost looking <em>forward <em>to it. I guess there's a real vampire in me after all. Eric was hesitant to let Karen leave at all. What if she were to run off to Lucy and tell her of our plans? Queen Sophie-Anne would surely notice if a war began between vampires and witches, wouldn't she? Eric considered forcing her to stay here, probably planning to throw her in that handy basement downstairs. I see why he chose a bar with such a convenient dungeon-style place to lock people up whenever he felt like it.

Karen gave us her word – hah, as if someone could trust a witch's word! – that she would return again, and we had no choice but to go with our instincts and allow this to happen. Eric and I sat in his office. I watched him, amazed at his cunning ability to come with a new plan in seconds. Ambushing the witches meant we needed back-up. Eric had a long list of people who owed him favours, both human and supernatural. He mentioned a man by the name of Alcide Herveaux. Apparently he'd be useful in a fight.

"I don't want any humans killed, Eric," I muttered.

He ignored me completely, continuing with his plan. "If Karen is serious, she can record their habits for up to three weeks at least, maybe more. Use their own dirty trick against them." The witches had tracked my movements, and now we would do the same to them. Seems fair. Pam and Chow entered, and they sat on the sofa with me in the middle. Eric stood in front of us, pacing as he planned every detail.

"So it's an ambush tactic we're going for here?" Chow asked.

"Yes," Eric replied absently, his brows furrowed.

"Then ding, dong, the witch is dead," Pam smirked. "And it's little Ruby who has to do it." At this, she ruffled my hair to make sure I was listening. Vampires talk of death like humans talk of weather. We're not very sensitive about it, because after all, it's bound to happen sometime. Even the immortals can die. Humans try to soften the blow of death by speaking of Gods and angels hidden by the clouds. They try to scare the baddies into being good with stories of the Devil, lurking somewhere beneath us with a pitchfork and pointy tail. Somehow, these stories that seem so crazy to me, have worked.

For the most part, anyway. You still have some baddies running around the Earth.

"You really think Karen can be trusted?" Chow asked. He was full of questions tonight, wasn't he? I think it's the most I've heard him speak. Ever.

"We Glamoured her," I said, almost proudly. "Or at least, Eric did…"

Glamouring can be tiring work. We had about twenty minutes to get into our beds and hide from our enemy that is the Sun. Otherwise we'd be burnt to a crisp. Wouldn't Lucy love that? This ambush plan would have to wait until we had a good day's sleep. Especially Eric. I worried about him an awful lot, even more so when he refused to go to bed until the very last minute before the Sun rose. He must be tired, because he got the Bleeds just seconds after dawn.

* * *

><p>"Ruby? Ruby get up!"<p>

I mumbled something so incoherent even _I_ wasn't sure what I was saying. Was it still day-time? Sure felt like it. Only I knew it wasn't when I saw Eric's leather jacket and his phone in hand. He was going somewhere. Ugh. Please say I can stay in my coffin for _five more minute_…

Eric realized quickly that I wasn't willing to get up, so he used a secret weapon – tickling me. This is something Eric would rather die than let anyone else see him do, because he wants to be seen as this giant scary vampire, but he really does have a playful side he has to suppress as Sheriff. His sense of humour shines through sometimes. I have terrible tickles. He says I had them when I was a human too, and they haven't gone just because I died somewhere along the way.

Instantly I was clutching my sides from laughter. I wished Pam would walk in on this, because she would tease him mercilessly for showing some affection or even showing his softer side. Eventually I was crying bloody tears because I was laughing so much.

"Ruby you're messing up the bed-sheets. I'm sorely tempted to jump in there with you…" he winked. "If only I didn't have business to attend to."

'Business to attend to' could mean anything when it came to Eric. I giggled cheerfully and let out a contented sigh. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, that's a secret."

I frowned, sitting up. Eric usually let me know where he was going. He turned, walking out of the room. I hopped up, easily catching up with him because I used vampire speed, while he walked normally. I pulled on his shoulders, getting on my tippy-toes. All my giddiness from being tickled had vanished. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Eric! You have to tell me!"

He hummed for a moment. "No, no I don't think I do." He gave me a smirk, but it wasn't his usual kind of smirk. This one seemed strained. We stood in the hallway that led to the main bar, so I blocked his path, putting my hands on his chest and trying to make him stop.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell me where you're going, Eric Northman!"

We stayed silent for a moment, staring each other down. Of course, if Eric _really_ wanted me out of the way, he could do it easily. I didn't dare blink. I could do this all night, and he knew I would too. Karen was due to come back soon. She would speak with Lucy, try and discover anything we could need or use to our advantage. If she did, she would have to turn up here and report back to us. Eric seemed to be mulling things over. He might try to lie to me, but I'm pretty sure I would feel it through our bond, wouldn't I?

"I…I have to visit the Queen tonight. Report on how things are doing in my area. I won't be the only Sheriff there, but I…"

He trailed off. "You're nervous, aren't you?" I whispered softly. Eric met my eyes slowly. Honestly, he was so ashamed of normal old emotion. He thought they were something only humans should have. "I could always go with you-…"

"No," he said, with extra force than he meant. He straightened up, putting his hands on my shoulders. "I can't bring you even if I wanted to, Ruby" – somehow I didn't entirely believe that – "and like I said, I won't be the only Sheriff there."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He paused. "I didn't…want to worry you."

Touching, but it didn't make me feel much better. "Well…What will she talk about?"

"Vampire Sheriffs always have to report to their Queen Ruby. We'll discuss normal matters. If anyone has any problems in their area, she has to know about it."

"So we have to lie to her?"

Eric raised an eyebrow. "What do you suppose we do instead?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. I was beginning to miss the playful Eric who had been here only moments ago. He was back to being his normal Sheriff-y self, completely composed and emotionless. "Okay, smarty-pants. I get it. We're lying to our Queen."

"If we don't, she'll become involved and you'll be taken away from us. She'll catch those witches, and she'll kill all of you to eradicate the whole damn mess because she doesn't want anything to spoil her fun. Sophie-Anne enjoys her rich lifestyle. Things like this are only dealt with by the True Death."

"But if we explained it to her, she could help us, she has more back-up than we ever could-…"

"You don't know Sophie-Anne like I do anymore Ruby. Just leave it to me."

But that bad feeling was still in my tummy when he kissed me goodbye, because he was right. I didn't know Sophie-Anne. She might sense something is wrong with Eric, maybe even try to investigate further. Then we'd all be screwed. With a deflated sigh, I made my way to the bar. We had work to do if we wanted to catch these witches anytime soon.


End file.
